stevenorton's Identifications

Alligator was spotted on Sep. 8th, 2018 at around 4pm in San Felasco Hammock Preserve Park. Gator was basking in a field about 50 feet from a nearby creek. The habitat was woody and the weather was warm and clear. 85 degrees.

American alligators are found along the Atlantic coast from Virginia to Florida and all along the Gulf coast as far west as the Rio Grande. Their habitat is typically freshwater swamps, marshes, rivers, and even ponds. They can only tolerate small amounts of salt water for short periods.
Average female size is 9.8 feet and the males are 13 - 14.7 (adult). Both males and females have short legs just long enough to raise them off the ground, bony plates on their back, and an olive brown or blackish color.

citation-Schechter, B. and R. Street 2000. "Alligator mississippiensis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed October 23, 2018 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Alligator_mississippiensis/