North GroundHuntNorth Ground Hunt — return to North Ground
Species authority page

American alligator

Alligator mississippiensis · Crocodilians · Reptiles

American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis): Blackish or olive-drab above; young have bold yellowish crossbands that may persist faintly in adults. Broadly rounded snout; no conspicuous upward-protruding lower teeth when the mouth is closed. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the american alligator map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

American alligator with its mouth open on a grassy bank
Adobe Stock · Standard License (asset 1417474226)
Scientific name
Alligator mississippiensis
Family
Alligatoridae
In North America
Native
Range
Coastal North Carolina to the Florida Keys, west to southern Texas, north to southeastern Oklahoma and Arkansas. Not native to Canada.
Biology

How to identify it

Blackish or olive-drab above; young have bold yellowish crossbands that may persist faintly in adults. [1][2]

Broadly rounded snout; no conspicuous upward-protruding lower teeth when the mouth is closed. [1][2]

Adults generally 4 m or less (maximum about 5.8 m); males much larger than females. [1][2]

Hatchlings about 21-23 cm. [1][2]

Compared with the american crocodile: Narrower snout and a fourth lower tooth that protrudes upward near the snout tip. [1][2]

Compared with the spectacled caiman: Has a curved bony crosswise ridge in front of the eyes, which the alligator lacks. [1][2]

Field notes

  • Identification Confirm a american alligator before you act. Compared with the american crocodile: Narrower snout and a fourth lower tooth that protrudes upward near the snout tip.[1][2]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Fresh and brackish marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers, swamps, bayous and canals; basks on logs or banks. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Spring courtship includes loud bellowing and head slaps on the water [1][2]

Inactive or less active from about late November to March in the northern range [1][2]

Digs dens in banks and 'gator holes' used in cold spells and drought [1][2]

Opportunistic feeder: invertebrates and small fish when young; birds, reptiles and mammals as large adults [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Coastal North Carolina to the Florida Keys, west to southern Texas, north to southeastern Oklahoma and Arkansas. Not native to Canada.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  2. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30

    University of Michigan Museum of Zoology