We Are One: Thriving, The American Alligator

Straight out of the Pleistocene epoch about 1.8 million years ago and to a Florida neighborhood backyard today, the American Alligator is living large. It wasn't always that way. There was a time that this reptile was endangered from hunting and recognized as such in 1967. With conservation efforts though, they were removed from the list in 1987.

American alligators are crocodilians, but not crocodiles which have narrow snouts in comparison. They are considered apex predators and play a major role in maintaining the wetland ecosystem. They create gator holes (nests) providing habitat and refuge for other animals and certain plants, they control populations of certain species and they provide protection to water birds by warding off other predators. In Florida, alligators serve as biological indicators for restoration success of the Everglades.

Did you know that alligators can use tools to hunt?! They have been know to balance twigs on their heads to attract birds with nesting materials and make snacks out of them.

Conservation Status: Least Concern
Habitat: Southeastern United States freshwater wetlands from Texas to North Carolina.
Threats: Saltwater intrusion into wetlands due to sea rise from climate change, warming of climate will produce only males (sex is temperature dependent) and in the Florida Everglades, Burmese pythons an invasive species compete for apex predator status with the alligator.

Check out this video on alligator tool use: https://youtu.be/3ul3zFk9jVE

Sources:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator
http://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/burmesepythonsintro.htm