The American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, (known colloquially as simply gator) is one of the two living species of Alligator, a genus within the family Alligatoridae. The American Alligator is only native to the Southeastern United States, where it inhabits wetlands that frequently overlap with human-populated areas. It is larger than the other extant alligator species, the Chinese Alligator.

The American Alligator has a large, slightly rounded body, with thick limbs, a broad head, and a very powerful tail. They generally have a olive brown, gray or nearly black color with a creamy white underside. Algae-laden waters produce greener skin, while tannic acid from overhanging trees can produce often darker skin.Fact: date=September 2008 Adult male alligators are typically 13 to 14.7 feet long (3.96 to 4.48 meters), while adult females average 9.8 feet (2.99 meters).Crocodile Species - American Alligator Male alligators may grow to 454.5 kg (1000 lb)<http://www.eparks.org/marine_and_coastal/marine_wildlife/alligator.asp> and females can grow to 72 kg (160 lbs). One American Alligator allegedly reached a length of 19 feet, 2 inches (5.8 meters),Everglades National Park article on the American Alligator which would make it the largest recorded. The tail, which accounts for half of the alligator's total length, is primarily used for aquatic propulsion. The tail can also be used as a weapon of defense when an alligator feels threatened. Alligators travel very quickly in water, are generally slow-moving on land and can lunge short distances very quickly. They have five claws on each front foot and four on each rear foot. Discovery Channel's Animal Face Off team estimated a fully grown gator's bite force at 3000lbf and as part of a National Geographic Special, Greg Erickson of Florida State University, Kent Vliet of the University of Florida and Kristopher Lapping of Northern Arizona University provoked American alligators, at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park in Florida, into biting a bar studded with piezoelectric sensors. The largest alligator they tested was able to exert a force of 9.45 kN (2,125 lbf)Fact: date=September 2008.

Habitat

Alligators are mostly found in the Southeastern United States, from Merchants Millpond State Park in North Carolina south to Everglades National Park in Florida and west to the southern tip of Texas. They are also found in the U.S. states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.