Alligator Pictures

The American alligator is a large predatory reptile that inhabits the southeastern United States. It’s a fascinating animal with many interesting things about it. And we’ve collected some of the best alligator pictures to help show you just how amazing they are.

Alligator On Golf Course

Ponds are used on golf courses around the world. They function as an obstacle for golfers known as a “water trap.” They also add to the beauty of the course and can function to store water for irrigation as well. In places like Florida where gators are common, they also serve as a home for gators.

Alligators may use these ponds to live or as a place to find food such as turtles, fish, birds, and even smaller gators. It’s actually not that uncommon to see an alligator walking to and from these ponds right on the green. Many of these gators are quite large and have become local celebrities with their own names. While most don’t cause a problem for humans nuisance alligators must be removed and relocated.

Sleeping Alligator

Alligators are often seen lying on the banks of bodies of water. This doesn’t mean that they are sleeping, however. And you definitely don’t want to check. Because they are cold-blooded they can’t regulate their own body temperature. Therefore to warm up gators often bask in the sun.

Albino Alligator

Unlike normal gators, albino alligators do not produce any pigmentation in their skin or eyes. This leaves them totally white and with pink eyes. Unfortunately, this rare condition greatly reduces their chance of survival greatly in the wild. It makes them both easy to spot by predators and sensitive to sunlight.

Leucistic Alligator

Not all white alligators are albino. Leucistic alligators are another type that are actually even rarer. They can be differentiated from albino gators by their blue eyes. Leucistic gators don’t lack all pigmentation and often have a bit of color around the mouth and or tail.

Everglades Alligator

The Florida everglades are a large area of tropical wetlands that covers the Southern third of the Florida peninsula. These wetlands are an important habitat for a range of species however none is as closely linked with it as the American alligator. In the everglades, they are not only an important part of the ecosystem but a keystone species.

Alligator Hatchling

Alligator eggs take between fifty-eight and sixty-three days to hatch. During this time the temperature of eggs determines the sex of the baby gators. Hatchlings are born with a skin pattern that features bright yellow bands on a black background that works as an efficient camouflage against predators.

Juvenile Alligator

Young alligators eat insects along with small fish and frogs. As they grow and get older the yellow bands on their skin fade away. Juveniles grow fast and that can sometimes mean more than a foot each year when conditions are optimal.

Big Alligator

Alligators can get big. Because they grow all of their lives the oldest animals are usually the biggest. Adult males are known to grow from thirteen to fifteen feet in length. There are reports of larger gators out there though from both the past and present.

Alligator Wrestling

Alligator wrestling is a popular tourist attraction. It is often performed in shows at alligator farms. Interestingly it has its roots in the culture of Native American tribes such as Seminole and Miccosukee who used to catch American alligators as a food source.

Alligator Jaws

The jaws of an alligator are immensely powerful. In fact, they’re so strong they can crush the shell of a turtle. However, alligator jaws are also incredibly sensitive. They are covered in thousands of microscopic bumps which are used to help detect prey even when in the murkiest water.

Alligator Hunting

In its range, the American alligator is the apex predator. It hunts and feeds on everything from fish, nutria, turtles, water birds, to wild hogs. Occasionally it may even take a Florida panther or black bear.

Because so many prey animals instinctively recognize the alligator as a predator, a floating alligator decoy is often highly effective for helping to keep unwanted backyard pests away from ponds, ornamental fish, and even pools. The threat of these large reptiles is so effective that even an alligator statue is known to be able to scare some species away.

Alligator Eyes

Alligators actually have eyes that are specially suited for the water. That’s because they have two sets of eyelids. Their outer lids function similarly to that of a human. However, their inner lids are clear and provide better vision and protection when under the water. This is something most people are unaware of, especially since the majority of alligator pictures are of course of animals that are not totally submerged.