Alligators have been roaming the earth for millions of years. Many of the local gators have even earned pet names like Crunch and Chuckie. The ones at local golf courses are commonly called Course Marshalls. Our region along the Gulf Coast has been known for the armored reptiles and now we are making national list for the number of alligators in the wild.

A publication, The Travel, recently ranked our area as the 6th most populated with wild alligators in the United States.

The American Alligator is a reptile native to the Southeastern United States and a small section of northeastern Mexico. Many can weigh over 1,000 lbs. and grow to 14 feet in length. Those specimens are rare with the average grown male weighing 500 to 800 lbs.. No matter the size, locals have learned to let them have the right-of-way.

THE MOST ALLIGATORED POPULATED CITIES IN THE U.S.:

1. Gainesville, Florida
2. Orlando, Florida
3. Miami, Florida
4. Tampa, Florida
5. New Orleans, Louisiana
6. Mobile, Alabama
7. Savannah, Georgia
8. Columbia, South Carolina
9. Houston, Texas
10. Galveston, Texas

* The Travel article included Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island as part of the Mobile district.

Some interesting alligators facts provided by Alligator Alley include:

• Alligators grow to a maximum length of 14 ft. Specimens over 13 ft. are rare.
• Alligators of 10 ft. and above can have as much as 1,800 pounds of bite (true pounds, not pounds per square inch).
• An alligator’s life expectancy is 50 years. To date, 56 is the oldest on record.
• The average lifespan of an alligator is 50 years in the wild, also.
• Females grow to a maximum size of 10 ft. and there are no external differences between sexes.
• An average clutch size is around 35 eggs.
• Large alligators can go as long as 18 months with no food! This length of time is rare but not impossible.
• Turtles make up the vast majority of an alligators diet, as do otters, beavers, snakes, frogs, birds and the occasional fish.
• Alligators are opportunistic eaters, meaning they eat whenever the opportunity presents itself.
• Alligators are not social creatures until breeding season comes around. They are cold blooded.
• Alligators often stay in groups called congregations. They are generally seen lounging in the sun or taking a swim together.
• Alligators have around 74 to 80 teeth in their jaws at any given time, and as they wear down or fall out they are replaced. An alligator can go through as many as 2,000 teeth or more in its lifetime!
• The easiest way distinguish between an alligator and a crocodile is by the shape of their noses. Alligators have a wide U-shaped, rounded snout, while a crocodile’s nose tends to be longer and more V-shaped.