The Alligator Statue Buyer’s Guide

Buy on Amazon

There are many reasons to have your very own alligator. Instead of the real thing though, you’ll want an alligator statue. That way you won’t have to worry about losing any limbs or missing any pets. So for all you gator fans, here’s your complete guide to them.

Great Gator Solutions

The American alligator is a symbol of the southern states and Florida in particular. For this reason and the fact that it’s a fearsome predator, it’s also the mascot for a huge number of sports teams, especially southern ones. A gator statue can help you to show off your southern pride, team support, or love for the sunshine state.

And adding one of these reptilian predators to your yard, home or business will make for an instant conversation piece that stands out. Gators can guard your garden gnomes or terrorize them if you like. And of course, there’s nothing wrong with using a statue to give your guests or backyard pests a good scare.

Choosing The Right Alligator Statue

By giving a bit of thought to where and how you’d like to use your alligator statue, you can quickly narrow down your options when shopping. It will also make it easier to choose a statue that works best for you and your space. But if you have no idea, that’s okay too! We’ve compiled as many pictures, ideas, and tips as possible to help give you all the help and inspiration you’ll need.

Buy on Amazon

Popular Poses

Gators come in quite a few different poses and positions. While many of them are very realistic others are meant to be more playful and fun. A lot of statues feature a gator that is lying down and seems to be relaxing. This is typical behavior of alligators since they often will sun themselves to keep warm.

But like with all reptiles, you never know what a gator is really thinking and your statue may just be lying in wait ready to strike. A standing alligator statue could be on four legs like a real gator or standing on two like a human. Other statues may be walking. It’s common for statues to have an angry expression with their jaws wide open showing off those pearly white yet terrifying teeth.

There are even some statues that are designed to look as if they are lunging out of the water or bushes ready to take a bite out of whomever or whatever crosses their path. A snapping swamp gator statue can be used for making your guests jump. However, there are more friendly gators as well, many of which are actually smiling (with a toothy grin of course).

Buy on Amazon

Alligator Statue Materials

When shopping for your gator you’ll notice that statues are generally made from a handful of different materials. Unlike other animal statues such as lions for example which are often seen carved from stones like marble, stone alligators are not nearly as common.

So if you’d like a stone alligator statue, while it can be costly your best bet is typically to have one custom-made. A much more budget-friendly and readily available material choice than stone is concrete. In fact, concrete alligator statues can be made to look just like stone options like marble.

Concrete is very tough but statues made from it can also be very heavy so you’ll want to take this into consideration. Metal options are often made from materials such as aluminum, copper, and bronze. Many metal statues will actually come with a patina to make them look aged.

Since these don’t contain iron, they won’t rust and can be used in water without a problem. And they are often piped so that they can be used as pond fountains. While a bronze alligator statue, in particular, will cost more than other metals, bronze is well-known for its ability to be cast into highly detailed, and luxurious-looking works of art that can be used indoors or out.

The most life-like alligator statues are typically made from resin. This material can be used to create gators with highly realistic colors and textures. However, a resin alligator statue can also be made to look like stone, concrete, or metal as well. Resin statues are durable and also lighter in weight than other material options.

Buy on Amazon

Statue Sizes

Fortunately for consumers, there are gator options in just about every size from tiny all the way up to huge. Real baby alligators are actually only from six to eight inches long when they hatch so small statues can really be accurate representations of them. For something more substantial you might want to consider a medium size alligator that is a couple of feet long.

An excellent benefit of these is that they can seem much bigger than they really are when used in small and medium-sized spaces. These are often the choice of sports fans since they are big enough to show their team pride but not too big. For the true wildlife statue collector or alligator enthusiast, nothing makes an impression like a large alligator statue.

These are often anywhere from five or six feet long all the way up to around twelve feet in length. And that makes for one big backyard beast. Because they attach so much attention these enormous life-size alligator statues are often used in businesses and also very large spaces where a smaller statue wouldn’t have such an impact.

Buy on Amazon

Best Uses And Placement

Alligator statues are always a crowd-pleaser in businesses and restaurants especially those with a southern theme. They naturally command attention even when they aren’t prominently displayed, can add character, and always make for great photo opportunities. At home you may want to use an alligator garden statue in a flower bed,  porch, or right on the front lawn to show your southern pride or love of gators.

When placed on your front lawn your gator may even be able to deter dogs from using your grass as their favorite bathroom spot. Adding an alligator on your deck or in your yard near your pond or pool is a natural choice. You may want to place your statue so it looks like it’s sunning itself near the water or even partially submerged in the water.

While a statue won’t provide realistic movement like an alligator decoy, it can often help to keep backyard pests away from ponds and pools. Fish-eating birds, pooping ducks and geese, and mischievous raccoons may stay away from your property when your gator statue is in a visible spot. And don’t be afraid to bring smaller statues indoors where they can be displayed on counters, desks, or shelves.

Buy on Amazon

Fooling Friends And Looking Real

There are a couple of ways you can help to make your gator seem as real as possible. One is to place the statue so that it is only partially visible. This will make it look as if it’s trying to stay hidden just like a real animal would do. It also prevents your guests from being able to see the entire statue clearly.

And most people aren’t going to get close enough to make sure. Another option is to put it in a location where they are sure to run into it. Placing next to a garden path for example can often cause quite a reaction. Some people even like to keep their gator close to the front door for more regular reptile surprises.

You may even want to help set the stage first by telling them a gator has been spotted recently in the neighborhood. While it’s all in good fun, just remember to be responsible. Some people may have extreme reactions. Life-size alligator statues in particular can cause quite a fright since a run-in with a big gator in real life could really mean you’re lunch.

Personalizing Your Alligator Statue

Alligator statues are one piece of garden décor that you’ll want to personalize with a name. Al and Ally are common choices and so are any names that sound southern or Cajun. Many new gator owners even like to give their new pet a collar to show guests that he’s just a friendly statue. But of course, you may want to leave them guessing.

Statue Friends For Your New Toothy Pet

Once you have a gator statue collecting other statues to go along with it is always fun. This could be your chance to get creative with your outdoor space with a certain theme, such as a tropical one for example. Because gators are semi-aquatic themselves, it’s very popular to add statues of other water-loving creatures too.

Buy on Amazon

For instance, some frogs, or a turtle statue or two can help to keep your alligator company. Of course, these can be used near water or simply in the garden. Statues of wetland bird species such as egrets, flamingos, and herons can also be attractive options that naturally go well with gators. As an added bonus a heron statue, in particular, can actually help to keep real herons and fish-eating birds away from ponds.

You may want to give your gator a mate, some babies, or a crocodile statue cousin. If your gator is on land a floating gator decoy can be placed in your pond or pool give company while also scaring away pests. And of course, don’t overlook statues of other potential scaly reptile buddies such as iguanas and snakes.

Adding an alligator statue to your space is always a unique way to go, to say the least. And with this guide, you now have everything you need to find your perfect gator.

Start Shopping for Alligator Statues!