Information
The Zoo houses American alligators from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The average size for an adult alligator is 8 to 10 feet for a female and 10 to 12 feet for a male.
Status in the Wild
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status: Least concern. Due to strict conservation measures and extensive research, the American alligator is no longer endangered except in scattered areas of its range. However, it is listed as threatened on the U.S. Endangered Species List because of its similarity to the endangered American crocodile and hunters are likely to confuse the two species. The greatest threat is currently destruction of habitat; this includes water management systems and increased levels of mercury and dioxins in the water.
Diet
These animals are carnivorous. Large adults can and will tackle nearly all aquatic and terrestrial prey that comes within range, although mostly this includes fish, turtles, relatively small mammals, birds and reptiles including small alligators.
Habitat
American alligators are found from the southern Virginia-North Carolina border, along the Atlantic coast to Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico as far west as the Rio Grande in Texas. Alligators are usually found in freshwater, in slow-moving rivers. They are also found in swamps, marshes and lakes.