SKIP CONTENT TO 5 LAST ADMITTANCE FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM REPTILE DISCOVERY AMERICAN ALLIGATOR REPTILIA CROCODYLIA ALLIGATORIDAE GENUS ALLIGATOR MISSISSIPPIENSIS ANIMALS SHARE SIMILAR APPEARANCE ENDANGERED AMERICAN CROCODILE ALLIGATORS RANGE WATERWAYS IN THE UNITED NORTH CAROLINA FACTS TEETH WORN ALLIGATOR IN A LIFETIME SEX DETERMINED TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURES BELOW PRODUCE PERCENT MALES ABOVE CONSERVATION STATUS LEAST CONCERN NEAR THREATENED CRITICALLY ENDANGERED EXTINCT IN THE WILD EXTINCT DATA DEFICIENT CROC GATOR BLOG FACT SHEET CONSERVATION PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION FEMALES ARMORED BODY FLAT THE SKIN EMBEDDED BONY PLATES SHORT THE FRONT LEGS TOES BACK LEGS SNOUT UPWARD FACING NOSTRILS BREATHING THE REST THE BODY YOUNG BRIGHT YELLOW STRIPES ADULTS DARK EASY DISTINGUISH CROCODILE THE TEETH FOURTH TOOTH LOWER JAW FITS SOCKET UPPER JAW VISIBLE THE MOUTH MOUTH SIZE MALE FEMALE AVERAGE ADULT FEET REACH NEARLY HALF POUNDS NATIVE HABITAT THE AMERICAN THE UNITED STATES THE RIO GRANDE LIVE IN MARSHES TOLERATE SALT WATER BRIEF PERIODS DO NOT SALT GLANDS STRONG JAWS CRACK TURTLE SHELL SNAILS FROGS MAMMALS SHARP TEETH HOLD SWALLOW SHAKE IT APART BITE IT SPIN LONG AXIS BODIES TEAR THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AMERICAN ALLIGATORS RATS SOCIAL STRUCTURE OCCUPY AREAS GREATER THAN TWO SQUARE RANGES BREEDING SEASON AREA MOTHER LEAVE IN SEARCH OF FOOD DRIVEN REPRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT SEXUAL MATURITY LENGTH ATTAINED BREEDING TAKES THE NIGHT ROAR WARD THE MALE CIRCLES COURTSHIP MATING TAKEN NEST THE NEST MEASURE SEVEN 10 FEET TO 3 DIAMETER LAYS LAY UP THE EGGS VEGETATION HATCH INCUBATION PERIOD C NESTS SOMETIMES REPTILES EGG DEPOSITION TOWARD THE END OF AUGUST BEGIN NOISES INSIDE LETS THE MOTHER KNOW THAT REMOVE THE NESTING THE BABY INCHES CENTIMETERS FALL PREDATORS BASS AGGRESSIVELY CROCODILIANS THE ONLY ORDERS MATERNAL CARE GROW FOOT SLEEP INTERESTING ASPECT BIOLOGY EVEN THOUGH UNDERGO DORMANCY THE WEATHER EXCAVATE DEPRESSION HOLE WATERWAY SEASONAL WATER LEVEL DIG THEMSELVES HOLLOWS IN THE MUD FILL TUNNELS PROTECTION EXTREME HOT OR COLD OTHER ANIMALS BURROWS BUILDER IN THE WILD SAFE EXCEPT HUMANS ONCE ON THE VERGE REMARKABLE RECOVERY STRICT LONGER SCATTERED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LISTS THE GOVERNMENT WANT HUNTERS CONFUSE HUNTING GREATEST THREAT DESTRUCTION WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS MERCURY DIOXINS IN THE WATER FEED ALMOST POSE MILD REPORTED DEATHS RECENT DOGS HUNTED DOLLAR INDUSTRY RAISED PRODUCTION MEAT TOURIST VISITORS ENJOY NATURE TOURS VIEW FIND JAVASCRIPT ANIMAL FAREWELL CELEBRATION GIANT PANDA BAO BAO BEI BEI UPDATES PROJECT AFRICAN LION LION POPULATIONS HABITAT LOSS HUMAN AFRICAN ZOO CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE SAVE SPECIES SUPPORT FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL ZOO AFRICAN CLAWED FROG ALDABRA TORTOISE RAINBOW BOA BURMESE ROCK PYTHON CHINESE ALLIGATOR TREE FROG CUBAN CROCODILE EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE EASTERN SALAMANDER EMPEROR NEWT EYELASH PALM PITVIPER GABOON VIPER GHARIAL GILA MONSTER GOLDEN MANTELLA FROG GREEN ANACONDA GREEN SALAMANDER GREEN TREE PYTHON HELLBENDER JAPANESE GIANT SALAMANDER KING COBRA KOMODO DRAGON LEMUR NORTHERN COPPERHEAD ORIENTAL TOAD PAINTED RIVER TERRAPIN PANAMANIAN GOLDEN FROG PHILIPPINE CROCODILE POISON FROGS RADIATED TORTOISE SPIDER TORTOISE TIMOR PYTHON TOKAY GECKO VIETNAMESE MOSSY FROG MEMBER WORK DONATE SIGN EMAILS FOLLOW ON CONTACT GENERAL INFO VISIT CONNECTICUT AVE MAILING ADDRESS PO BOX THE ZOO STRATEGIC PLAN BOARD STAFF NEWSROOM PRESS RELEASES FILMING REQUESTS CAREERS JOBS INTERNSHIPS VOLUNTEER SHOP SMITHSONIAN PRIVACY TERMS OF USE ADOBE ACROBAT READER