Alligator Basic Facts

The Alligator is a reptile that lives in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South and North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. There are two species: the American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) and the Chinese Alligator (Alligator Sinensis). The lifespan of an alligator is around 30-50 years. They were founded 37 million years ago. The name "alligator" is from a Spanish word "el lagarto" which means "the lizard". They can weigh up to 360- 450 kg (790- 990 lb) and is around 4- 4.4 m (13.1- 14 ft) long. They live in ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and swamps. Young Alligators eat fish, insects, snails, crustaceans, and worms. Older Alligators eat gar, turtles, muskrat's, and coypu.