American alligator
Southeastern swamp predator
The American alligator is a large reptile native to the southeastern United States, found in freshwater environments like swamps, marshes, and rivers.
Distinguished from crocodiles by its broad, rounded snout and darker coloration, it can reach lengths of fifteen feet.
Once endangered, the species recovered after hunting restrictions: We saw an American alligator sunning itself on the bank.
Surprise strike from concealment
- apex predatorUnpreyed-upon dominant hunter
- carnivoreCreature eating only animals
- death rollCrocodile's twisting attack
- stealthSecret, undetected movement
hunter · territorial · powerful jaws · stalking · feared · dominance · bite force · prey
Order of large reptiles
- cold-bloodedUnfeeling or externally heated
- ectothermicTemperature set by surroundings
- herpetologyStudy of reptiles, amphibians
- oviparousReproducing through external eggs
scales · snout · tail · claws · eggs · hatchling · nest · basking
Waterlogged land with vegetation
- bayouMarshy, slow-moving waterway
- EvergladesFlorida's vast subtropical preserve
- marshGrassy waterlogged lowland
- wetlandWaterlogged land ecosystem
cypress · freshwater · mangrove · slough · pond · lake · river · brackish
Plates or weighing devices
- scutesHorny epidermal plates
- bony platesHard skeletal outer armor
- hideConceal or pelt
- keratinStructural hair protein
protection · shield · plating · defensive · armored
Law conserving threatened wildlife
- recoveryRegaining what was lost
- protectedKept from harm
- wildlife managementSupervising animal populations sustainably
- hunting banLaw forbidding animal pursuit
success story · habitat protection · coexistence · farm · sustainable
ambush
Surprise strike from concealment
- apex predatorUnpreyed-upon dominant hunter
- carnivoreCreature eating only animals
- death rollCrocodile's twisting attack
stealth · hunter · territorial · powerful jaws · stalking · feared · dominance · bite force · prey · attack
crocodilian
Order of large reptiles
- cold-bloodedUnfeeling or externally heated
- ectothermicTemperature set by surroundings
- herpetologyStudy of reptiles, amphibians
oviparous · scales · snout · tail · claws · eggs · hatchling · nest · basking · saurian
swamp
Waterlogged land with vegetation
- bayouMarshy, slow-moving waterway
- EvergladesFlorida's vast subtropical preserve
- marshGrassy waterlogged lowland
wetland · cypress · freshwater · mangrove · slough · pond · lake · river · brackish · mudbank
scales
Plates or weighing devices
- scutesHorny epidermal plates
- bony platesHard skeletal outer armor
- hideConceal or pelt
keratin · protection · shield · plating · defensive · armored
Endangered Species Act
Law conserving threatened wildlife
- recoveryRegaining what was lost
- protectedKept from harm
- wildlife managementSupervising animal populations sustainably
hunting ban · success story · habitat protection · coexistence · farm · sustainable
archosaur
Ruling reptile clade member
Mesozoic · living fossil · survivor · primitive · unchanged · Cretaceous · ancestral
- reptileslizard, snake, turtle, crocodile, python
- Crocodilianscrocodile, crocodiles, caiman, caimans, crocodilians
- alligators
- archosaursarchosaurs, dinosaurs, dinosaur, birds, pterosaurs
- wildlifewhite-tailed deer, birds, mammals, elephant, reptiles
American alligatorAmerican crocodile
Western hemisphere crocodilian species
alligator, America, American, gator, alligators, gators, Americana, Americano, Americanize