Common name : Gator, Common alligator
Scientific name : Alligator mississippiensis
Family : Alligatoridae
Native to : South-Eastern United States
Interesting fact : Though its teeth are strong yet the jaw muscles are weak, so an adult human can just hold its mouth shut with his hands.
Conservation status : Least Concern
You can tell an alligator from a crocodile with its broad snout and hidden lower front teeth when its mouth is closed. They stay under water with only their nostrils out and catch the unsuspicious prey. Found in swamps and wetlands, its olive brown to black body is heavily protected with hard bony plates. They live for 35 to 50 years.
