Largest alligator
See you later alligator! The next time you try giving this remark to an alligator in the Zoo, think again. The world’s largest alligator measured 19 feet 2 inches (5.8 meters) in length. It was found in March Island, Louisiana. It was an American alligator that weighed several tons.
The American Alligator And Other Kinds: An alligator is a crocodilian belonging to the Alligatoridae family. There are only two living alligator species in the world: the American Alligator(Alligator mississippiensis) and the Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis).
They are generally found in lakes, rivers, and swamps. American Alligators are found in North and South Carolina, southern Florida, the Gulf Coast and the Rio Grande. The Chinese alligator is endangered and lives only in the Yangtze River valley. Alligators have a broad snout and eyes more dorsally located than crocodiles. They are also darker in color, almost black. An interesting observation is that the eyes of an alligator glow red when a light is shined on them. They show an uncanny resemblance to the dinosaurs with their thick, armored, reptilian bodies and muscular jaws. They are supposed to be about 150 million years old. The largest alligator found in Florida was 17 feet 5 inches long (5.3 meters). The largest alligator recorded in South Carolina was 13 feet, 1 inch. Alligators can grow from two feet to twelve feet, all in a matter of eighteen years.
Their staple diet consists of fish such as gar, turtles, various mammals, birds, and other reptiles. Larger alligators have been known to hunt panthers and bears, particularly in Florida. Its average life span varies from 35 to 50 years.
Nesting: Alligators make their nests in June-July on raised banks so that the eggs will be above the high water mark. Each nest usually contains about 30 eggs. Instead, the alligator nest has a fairly constant incubation temperature. Hatching occurs in mid-August after about 65 days of incubation. Mother alligators stay near the nest at all times to protect the young. Predators like raccoons are the primary predator, hogs, otters, and bears hunt for alligator eggs. Other predators include birds, fish and even larger alligators.
Alligator Gar, Largest Freshwater Fish In North America: The alligator gar is the largest species of gar fish.They can grow upto twelve feet and often weigh around 100 pounds at maturity. The world record for largest alligator gar was caught in the Rio Grande River in 1951 and weighed 279 pounds.
Alligator Snapping Turtle, Largest Of Their Kind: Alligator snapping turtles are among the largest freshwater turtles in North America, and in the whole world. Alligator Snapping Turtles can measure as long as 31 inches and can weigh up to 80 kg. They may live longer than 100 years.
Pictures showing giant alligators in their natural habitats are available on the Internet. These pictures are exquisite and allow you to visualize the giant proportions of the alligator without actually having to face one. You can watch their life cycle videos too, right from the infant phase till the time they are fully mature.
Large alligators of eigth to ten feet in length have been caught by hunters and then released owing to their small size. Alligators rarely attack humans for prey, unlike their crocodile cousins.
Alligator farming is popular in the United States. Farmers collect alligator eggs from the wild and then carefully monitor them until they hatch, following the necessary procedures.
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