American Alligator

One of only two alligator species in the world, the other being the smaller Chinese alligator, the American alligator spends its time swimming through the freshwater rivers, swamps, and lakes of Southwestern United States and has the distinction of being the official state reptile of three states, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Many find telling the difference between the American alligator and the American crocodile difficult but the alligator has shorter legs, a flat tail, a long broader snout, with overlapping jaws and darker coloration, preferring cooler climates than the tropical climates favored by the crocodile.

Like the previous entry, the black bear, the American alligator is also part of the IUCN’s least-concern species list. After being listed as an endangered species by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 due to hunting, a concerted effort was made to conserve this native reptile and bolster their numbers. This was so successful that just 14 years later in 1987 it was removed from its endangered status.