American alligator

A reference overview

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to as a common alligator or just gator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the genus Alligator, and is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinese alligator. Adult male American alligators measure 3.4 to 4.8 m (11.2 to 15.7 ft) in length, and can weigh up to 450 kg (1,000 lb), with unverified sizes of up to 5.84 m (19.2 ft) and weights of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) making it the heaviest member of the family Alligatoridae, and the second longest one, after the black caiman.

Overview excerpt from Wikipedia contributors · American alligator, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Excerpt may be shortened. Overview retrieved 2026-10-09.