Printable PDF Of This Image (~566k)
Alligators have an ancient past and an unusual relationship with modern life throughout the Citrus County area and beyond. 
Behind their scales, tails and grinning yawn lies a genetic lineage arching back to the days of the dinosaurs. And now, they represent everything from aquatic curiosity, to a sports mascot, to a menu item.
Some are frightened by the sight of a swimming alligator, but with a healthy respect and a "live and let live" attitude, spotting one of these modern-day fossils can be a wonderful experience of the diversity of Sunshine State wildlife.
Birds' Cold-Blooded Cousins
Alligators are members of the family Alligatoridae. Our English word "alligator" is thought to have originated from the Spanish el largarto—"the lizard."
The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is one of just two alligator species alive today; it is dwells throughout all of Florida and much of the Southeast. The other species, the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis), is now only found wild in a relatively small area of its namesake country. So unless you find yourself exploring the lower Yangtze River, any alligator you see outside of a zoo will be of the American variety.
Alligators are part of the 200-million-year-old order of large reptiles called Crocodilia. Other members include crocodiles (generally larger and more aggressive than alligators), gavials (known by their long, narrow snouts) and caimans (a group with a bony ridge between their eyes). The vast majority of Florida is exclusively alligator country, but the American crocodile and the spectacled caiman (introduced from South America) can be spotted in some portions of South Florida. You can easily distinguish alligators from crocodiles by their snouts, which are more rounded than their relative's v-shaped noses. Caimans in South Florida are typically smaller than alligators.
Strangely enough, these prehistoric-looking reptiles have family ties with modern birds. Crocodilians and birds are the only living species of the group Archosauria ("ruling lizards") left. Extinct members include dinosaurs and pterodactyls. These reptiles shared several skeletal features, such as diapsid (two holes on each side) skulls. And while we do not normally think of birds as being similar to reptiles, the link is there—through millions upon millions of years and countless adaptations and extinctions—connecting their feathered forms to today's alligators.
A Gator's Life
Alligators live in rivers, lakes, ponds and marshes. And on the banks of these waterways, alligator mothers-to-be build nests out of dirt and sticks every year around late June, then lay approximately 35 eggs. Temperature directly affects the gender of the baby alligator developing in the nest: Warmer temperatures increase the ratio of males to females.
Raccoons and other animals raid alligator nests to feed on the eggs, but the biggest danger to a newly born gator is an adult of its own species. When they hatch (about two months after the eggs are laid), as many as half of the babies born will fall prey to this crocodilian cannibalization, a natural means of population control. Alligators are not usually aggressive to humans unless threatened, but a female gator will formidably guard her nest and protect her young for up to one year.
American alligators grow much larger than their tiny beginnings. They typically reach reproductive age at around 10 years old and 7 feet long. Fully grown females are usually less than 9 feet long, though males can grow to over 13 feet. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission cites a state alligator length record of just over 14 feet long and a weight record of 1,043 pounds.
Alligators are carnivores at the top of their food chains, dining on the fish, turtles, birds and small mammals found in their habitats. Boars, deer and stray dogs that venture too near the water number among the larger mammals eaten by adult alligators. Because gators cannot chew, they tear apart prey too large to swallow by spinning them in a dismembering "death roll."
Alligators are aided in their hunting by some of nature's most powerful jaws. A 12-foot alligator can bite with force equal to the weight of a small pickup truck. Yet even with such quarry-crushing prowess, alligators' ability to open their jaws is relatively weak. Nothing stronger than duct tape is necessary to hold closed the mouth of a mighty gator.
As during their early days, the primary predator of older gators continues to be other alligators, although at one time human action once posed a serious threat to the species. Now, however, state and federal regulations protect alligators, and the population is controlled in Florida through carefully managed hunting and nuisance alligator trapping. Alligators are also raised for their hides and meat in special farms throughout the state.
Alligator Safety
Alligators are generally not aggressive to humans as long as you maintain a safe distance and do not provoke them—harassing alligators is both illegal and unwise.
Awareness is also key to staying safe in places where alligators may be found. Swim only in designated areas, and be especially cautious at dawn and dusk, when gators become more active. Also, young children and pets should be monitored at all times near the water and never be left alone along the shore.
Feeding alligators is also illegal and dangerous, as it reduces a gator's natural fear of humans. Even throwing fish and bait scraps into the water can inadvertently feed the alligators and pose problems for other outdoor enthusiasts using the waterway in the future.
If you are a Floridian and have a large or aggressive alligator on your property, you are advised to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservations Commission's Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 1-866-FWC-GATOR (1-866-392-4286). The FWC will evaluate the complaint and dispatch a licensed trapper if necessary. Please note that most alligators under four feet long are too small to pose a threat to pets or people.
Alligator Links
