American Alligator

The name alligator comes from the Spanish el lagarto, which means "the lizard". Record size for an alligator was 19 feet 2 inches, nearly 2,000 lbs, and was harvested in Louisiana in 1890.

The American alligator was one of the first North American animals listed on the Endangered Species List. Due to conservation efforts, it was one of the first to be taken off the list.

HABITATFreshwater swamps and waterways
DIET Fish, turtles, snakes, small mammals and birds
LIFE Expectancy35-50 years