page_title: American alligator
section_title: Distribution
hierarchical_section_title: American alligator / Distribution
caption_attribution_description: Crocodile and Gator at Mrazek Pond (2), EVER, NPSPhoto, SCotrell, 4-2011
context_page_description: The American alligator, sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile endemic to the Southeastern United States. It is one of two extant species in the genus Alligator within the family Alligatoridae; it is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinese alligator.
  Adult male American alligators measure 3.4 to 4.6 m in length, and can weigh up to 453 kg. Females are smaller, measuring 2.6 to 3 m in length. The American alligator inhabits freshwater wetlands, such as marshes and cypress swamps from Texas to southeastern and coastal North Carolina. It is distinguished from the sympatric American crocodile by its broader snout, with overlapping jaws and darker coloration, and is less tolerant of saltwater but more tolerant of cooler climates than the American crocodile, which is found only in tropical climates.
  American alligators are apex predators and consume fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Hatchlings feed mostly on invertebrates.
context_section_description: American alligators are found in the wild in the Southeastern United States, from the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and North Carolina, south to Everglades National Park in Florida, and west to the southern tip of Texas, as well as the northern border region of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. They are found in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. In 2018, several sightings of animals that had moved north into West Tennessee were confirmed. Some of these locations appear to be relatively recent introductions, with often small but reproductive populations.
caption: American alligator (right) and the American crocodile (left) at Mrazek Pond, Florida.
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