Alligator of America

Taxonomy

François Marie Daudin made an error when it described the first time this. Indeed, it spelled its name in mississipiensis , by forgetting one of the p . Its error was officially repaired by a decision of the zoological International commission of nomenclature.

Morphology

The average length of the males is from 4 to 4,5 meters, exceptionally they can reach 5 to 6 meters. The females measure less than 3 meters.

Ecology and biology

The species attends marshy fresh water but can also meet in rivers or lakes. It tolerates a light degree of salinity during a short amount of time and can then be in brackish water like Mangrove S.

The young people nourish Invertébré S and particularly of Insecte S, small Poisson S and of Grenouille S. While growing, they drive out increasingly large preys like tortoise S, small Mammifère S, Oiseau X, Reptile S including other Alligator S.

One knows exceptional cases where an alligator attacked children and even adults. The wild alligators that human beings nourish accustom to the human presence and attack more readily.

Protection

Its manpower are estimated at more than one million specimens. This species is the best known one among the crocodiliens. The programs of protection set up at the end of the years 1960 allowed a very clear increase in its manpower. It is in particular the introduction of quotas on the hunting which allowed this clearing. The cattle-breeding farms, today one counts some more than 150, allowed reintroductions in many mediums where they had disappeared (for example in Arkansas and with the the Mississippi).

Determination of the sex

The determination of the sex depends on the temperature reigning during one critical period of incubation. A temperature lower than 30° between 7th and the 21e day will give only females; if the temperature exceeds the 34° the nests will give only males. If the temperature varies, the proportion between the males and the females will varira.

Cook

The Alligator enters as component the kitchen cadienne.

Etymology

The name of the species, mississippiensis , comes from the river the Mississippi and the Latin ensis ( coming from ).

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