page_title: American alligator
section_title: Characteristics
hierarchical_section_title: American alligator / Characteristics
caption_attribution_description: English: American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) Skull and mandible (47cm) Français&#160;: Alligator d'Amérique (Alligator mississippiensis) Crâne et mandibule (47cm) Deutsch: Echte Alligatoren (Alligator mississippiensis) Schädel und Unterkiefer (47cm) Italiano: Il cranio (47 cm) di un alligatore americano (Alligator mississippiensis), un grande rettile della famiglia Alligatoridae.
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: Domestic American alligators range from long and slender to short and robust, possibly in response to variations in factors such as growth rate, diet, and climate.
caption: American alligator skull
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