American Alligator | Smithsonian's National Zoo

Skip to main content

The Elephant Community Center is temporarily closed to the public. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Regular hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last entry 3 p.m.)

• Passes
• Join
• Donate

Regular hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last entry 3 p.m.)

1. Home
2. Animals

Exhibit: Reptile Discovery Center American alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

The American alligator is a large crocodilian with an armored body, short legs, a muscular tail and a long, rounded snout. This reptile nearly went extinct but is now considered a conservation success story.

• Fact Sheet
• Conservation
• Meet the Animals

Physical Description

Both males and females have an "armored" body with a muscular, flat tail. The skin on their back is armored with embedded bony plates called osteoderms or scutes. They have four short legs; the front legs have five toes while the back legs have only four toes. Alligators have a long, rounded snout that has upward facing nostrils at the end; this allows breathing to occur while the rest of the body is underwater. The young have bright yellow stripes on the tail; adults have dark stripes on the tail.

It's easy to distinguish an alligator from a crocodile by the teeth. The large, fourth tooth in the lower jaw of an alligator fits into a socket in the upper jaw and is not visible when the mouth is closed. This does not happen in crocodiles. Alligators have between 74 and 80 teeth in their mouth at a time. As they wear down, they are replaced. An alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.

Size

Male alligators are larger than female alligators. The average adult size for a female is 8.2 feet (2.6 meters), and the average size for a male is 11.2 feet (3.4 meters). Exceptionally large males can reach a weight of nearly half a ton or 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms).

Native Habitat

The American alligator is found across the southeastern United States, ranging from the northern coasts of North Carolina to Lake Worth in central Texas. Alligators are usually found in freshwater, slow-moving rivers. They also live in swamps, marshes and lakes. They can only tolerate salt water for brief periods because they do not have salt glands.

Lifespan

American alligators live about 50 years in the wild. After they are 4 feet long, alligators are safe from predators except humans and occasionally other alligators.

Food/Eating Habits

Alligators are carnivorous. They have very strong jaws that can crack a turtle shell. They eat fish, snails and other invertebrates, birds, frogs and mammals that come to the water's edge. They use their sharp teeth to seize and hold prey. They swallow small prey whole. If the prey is large, they shake it apart into smaller, manageable pieces. If it is very large, they will bite it, then spin on the long axis of their bodies to tear off easily swallowed pieces.

At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, American alligators are fed rats and occasionally rabbits.

Sleep Habits

One interesting aspect of alligator biology is that even though they do not hibernate, they undergo periods of dormancy when the weather becomes cold. They excavate a depression called a "gator hole" along a waterway to be used when the seasonal temperature falls. In areas where the water level fluctuates, alligators dig themselves into hollows in the mud, which fill with water. These tunnels can be as long as 65 feet (20 m) and provide protection during extreme hot or cold weather. Many other animals also use these burrows after their builder abandons them.

Social Structure

Female alligators usually remain in a small area. Males can occupy areas greater than two square miles. Both males and females extend their ranges during the breeding season. Young alligators remain in the area where they are hatched and where their mother protects them. After two to three years, they leave that area in search of food or when driven out by larger alligators.

Reproduction and Development

Both males and females reach sexual maturity when they are about 6 feet (1.8 meters) long, a length attained at about 10 to 12 years. Breeding takes place during the night in shallow waters. Males (bulls) roar to attract females and to ward off other males. The male circles the female and mounts. Courtship starts in April, with mating usually occurring in early May.

After mating has taken place, the female builds a nest of vegetation. The nest can measure seven to 10 feet (2.1 to 3 meters) in diameter and two to three feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) high. Then, around late June and early July, the female lays 35 to 50 eggs. Some females can lay up to 90 eggs. The eggs are then covered with vegetation and hatch after a 65-day incubation period. The sex of the juveniles is determined by the temperature of the nest. Temperatures of 31? C (87.8? F) or below produce females. A temperature of 32? C (89.6? F) produces 75 percent males and 32.5? C (90.5? F) and above are mostly females. Alligator nests are sometimes used by other reptiles for their own egg deposition and incubation.

Toward the end of August, the young alligators begin to make high-pitched noises from inside of the egg. This lets the mother know that it is time to remove the nesting material. When the baby alligator hatches it measures about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters). Newly hatched alligators live in small groups, called "pods." Some 80 percent of young alligators fall victim to predators such as birds, raccoons, bobcats, otters, snakes, large bass and larger alligators. Females aggressively defend their young during these first few years. Crocodilians are one of the only orders of reptiles that offer maternal care to their young. The juveniles grow about a foot a year.

Conservation Efforts

Once on the verge of extinction, the American alligator has made a remarkable recovery due to strict conservation measures and extensive research. It is no longer endangered except in scattered areas of its range. However, the federal government lists it as threatened because it is very similar in appearance to the American crocodile. Because the American crocodile is endangered, the government does not want hunters to confuse the two different types of animals. Hunting is allowed in some states but it is strictly controlled. The greatest threat is currently destruction of habitat; this includes water management systems and increased levels of mercury and dioxins in the water.

Since alligators can become large and will feed on almost anything, they pose a mild threat to humans. In Florida, where there is the greatest alligator population, there have been several reported deaths due to alligator attacks in recent years and human-alligator conflicts are common. Dogs and other pets are also sometimes killed.

Alligators are hunted mostly for their skin, but also they are hunted for their meat. Today, there is a multi-million dollar industry in which alligators are raised for the production of their meat and skin. Also, alligators are a tourist attraction, especially in Florida, where visitors enjoy nature tours to view and occasionally feed them.

Help this Species

Be a smart consumer! Avoid animal-skin products, even those marked “faux,” to ensure you’re not contributing to the illegal hunting of this species.

Organize or attend a stream, river, lake or other waterway cleanup in your area to preserve aquatic habitats for local species.

Share the story of this animal with others. Simply raising awareness about this species can contribute to its overall protection.

Meet the Animals

The Zoo is home to one American alligator, a female named Wally.

Cite this page:Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. (n.d.). American alligator. Retrieved March 11, 2026, from https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator

Fun Facts

1. As an alligator's teeth are worn down, they are replaced. An alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.
2. The sex of the juveniles is determined by the temperature of the eggs. Temperatures of 31 C (87.8 F) or below produce females, 32 C (89.6 F) produces 75 percent males and 32.5 C (90.5 F) and above are mostly females.

Conservation Status

• lcLeast Concern
• ntNear Threatened
• vuVulnerable
• enEndangered
• crCritically Endangered
• ewExtinct in the Wild
• exExtinct
• ddData Deficient
• neNot Evaluated

American alligator News

August 15, 2023 How Long Can an Alligator Hold Its Breath? And Other Questions, Answered June 15, 2015 The Croc and Gator Blog Jun 15, 2015

Taxonomic Information

Class: ReptiliaOrder: CrocodyliaFamily: AlligatoridaeGenus and Species: Alligator mississippiensis

Animal News

February 25, 2026

Elephant Calf Linh Mai Takes Steady Steps Towards Socializing With Her Herdmates ›

Elephant care team members are working around the clock to foster bonding between calf Linh Mai and her herdmates.

February 12, 2026

Elephant Calf Update: Building Bonds Among the National Zoo's Herd ›

Over the past 10 days, the elephant team has been working around the clock to care for the calf and build positive relationships among the herd.

February 09, 2026

Get To Know the National Zoo's Growing Sloth Bear Cubs ›

The sloth bears born Dec. 7 are growing bigger and cuter by the day! Get to know their names—plus which one is feisty and which one is serious.

More News