There are 23 known living species of Crocodilians in the world divided into 3 families. Alligatoridae, Crocodylidae, and Gavidalidae. Today we’re going to cover Alligatoridae, which includes alligators and caimens. But we’re just focusing on the alligators for this article.
Alligatoridae Pt. 1
In this family of Crocodilians you’ll find 8 of the known living species, 2 being alligators and 6 being caimens.
- Allogator Mississippiensis (American Alligator)
These beautiful alligators are found in the Southeastern United States and can commonly be found in marshes, swamps, and even rivers and lakes. They are primarily located in: Alabama, Arkansas, North and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Adult males typically reach 13-14.7 feet in length while females typically reach 9.8 feet in length. Adult males can reach a weight of up to 500 lbs while females can reach a weight of up to 200 lbs. Holy cow, those are some heavy reptiles!
American alligators hibernate during the winter in dens that they build. During this time they don’t feed. The begin losing their appetite when temperatures drop below 80° F and stop feeding entirely when temperatures drop below 73° F. They can also survive below freezing temperatures by submerging themselves under the water, leaving only their nostrils above the surface so they can breath. If they become completely trapped under the ice they can survive for up to 8 hours without taking a single breath, thanks to their metabolic rate dropping down to very low levels.
There are approximately 1,000,000 American alligators living in the wild and they have been regarded as a keystone species due to their importance in the ecosystem.
- Alligator Sinensis (Chinese Alligator)
These alligators are located in China and can be found around the lower Yangtze River (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui). They’re mostly commonly found in the Anhui province and very small numbers reside in the Jinagsu and Zhejiang provinces.
They prefer the slow moving fresh water rivers and streams and can also be found in lakes, ponds, and swamps. They spend approximately 6-7 months out of the year in hibernation. Could you imagine sleeping for that long?
It’s sad to say that these secretive and rather antisocial alligators are critically engendered, with only around 200 existing in the wild. There are sanctuaries that do keep healthy Chinese alligators and try to encourage repopulation so there is hope that they will one day no longer be endangered. We can only hope.
The Chinese alligator is one of the smaller crocodilian species, averaging around 6 feet in length as an adult and weighing in at just shy of 90 lbs