may constitute an apparent threat as both a 

 competitor to and predator on man, Thus, even 

 a few homes on a lake or river can generate con- 

 siderable pressure for a reduction in the local 

 alligator population, especially the larger indi- 

 viduals. Growing human intolerance could result 

 in serious and possibly insurmountable obstacles 

 to maintaining the species over much of its 

 present range. 



PRIORITY INDEX 



Not assigned. 



DESCRIPTION 



The alligator is a lizard-Hke reptile that 

 reaches lengths of more than 4 m and weights 

 up to 150 kg. Adults are generally dark gray or 

 black, but the young are brightly patterned with 

 black and yellow. The body is covered with rough 

 scales dorsally and smooth scales ventrally. The 

 tail is strongly compressed laterally and crested 

 with high, pointed scales. 



The only native species with which the alliga- 

 tor might be confused is the American crocodile. 

 The alligator has a broad, rounded snout, whereas 

 the crocodile's snout is sharply tapered forward 

 of the eyes. The fourth tooth in the crocodile's 

 lower jaw is exposed when the mouth is closed; 

 in the alligator, this tooth is covered by the upper 

 lip. Crocodiles are generally lighter colored as 

 adults than alligators, being light gray or olive as 

 compared to the alligator's dark gray or black. 

 Young crocodiles are olive with black bars and 

 markings, rather than black and yellow. Most 

 standard field guides and reptile books illustrate 

 the differences between these species (e.g., Dit- 

 mars 1953, Carr and Coin 1955, Pope 1955, 

 Bothwell 1962, Neill 1971,Conant 1975, Perrero 

 1975). All these works, as well as a wide range of 

 texts, magazines, and general outdoor publica- 

 tions provide color and black-and-white photo- 

 graphs. 



RANGE 



Alligators range throughout wetland habitats 

 in the coastal region of southeastern United States 

 from central North Carolina to Texas and north 

 along the Mississippi River drainage into extreme 

 southeastern Oklahoma and southern Arkansas 

 (Joanen 1974). 



The present range approximates the historical 

 range. There is evidence that the species once 

 ranged north of central North Carolina into the 

 Dismal Swamp region of southeastern Virginia 



and northeastern North Carolina (Neill 1971). 

 The southern extent of its historic range in Texas 

 and possibly northeastern Mexico is unknown; 

 however, records exist from the Rio Grande, indi- 

 cating the possiblity that it once ranged into the 

 extensive aquatic habitats of northeastern Tamau- 

 lipas, Mexico. 



RANGE MAP 



Range is delineated by shading on the follow- 

 ing map (T. Joanen personal communication). 



STATES/COUNTIES 



Alabama: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, 

 Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Co- 

 necuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, 

 Dallas, Escambia, Geneva. Greene, 

 Hale, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, 

 Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, 

 Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, 

 Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Washing- 

 ton, Wilcox. 



Arkansas: Hempstead, Lafayette, Miller. 



Florida: All. 



Georgia: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, 

 Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, 

 Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, 

 Bullock, Burke, Calhoun, Camden, 

 Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Chatta- 

 hoochee, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Col- 

 quitt, Cook, Crawford, Crisp, Decatur, 

 Dodge, Dooly, Early, Echols, Effing- 

 ham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Grady, 

 Hancock, Harris, Heard, Houston, Ir- 

 win, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, 

 Johnson, Jones, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, 

 Liberty, Long, Lowndes, Macon, Ma- 

 rion, Mcintosh, Meriwether, Miller, 

 Mitchell, Montgomery, Muscogee, 

 Peach, Pierce, Pulaski, Putnam, Quit- 

 man, Randolph, Richmond, Schley, 

 Screven, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, 

 Talbot, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Ter- 

 rell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, 

 Troup, Turner, Twiggs, Upson, Ware, 

 Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, 

 Wilcox, Wilkinson, Worth. 



Louisiana: All. 



Mississippi: Adams, Amite, Attala, Carroll, Clai- 

 borne, Clarke, Clay, Coahoma, Copiah, 

 Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, 

 Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, 



