Home: Gator Facts!

Alligators are amazing animals that have lived virtually unchanged for over 150 million years. They can live as long as a human being, and grow up to 16 feet long. They are reptiles, which mean they are ectothermic, or cold blooded. They can't regulate their own temperature, so they sit in the sun for hours each day to get enough energy to live. They are like living solar panels!

In the wild, alligators eat almost anything that is small enough to swallow whole. This includes birds, snakes, crawfish, fish, snails, and small mammals. They ambush their prey by camouflaging like a log in the water, and they can lunge out of the water at least half their body length. They can run up to 15 miles per hour, and can swim up to 25 miles per hour, but they can't maintain those speeds for very long. Fortunately, they do not see people as a source of food, and you are more likely to get struck by lightening than you are to be eaten by an alligator.

The largest alligator on record was 19 feet 2 inches long and was found on a duck hunt January 2, 1890 on Avery Island, Louisiana. He was discovered by the famous founder of Tabasco Sauce, E.A. McIlhenney.

There are 23 species of crocodilians: 14 crocodiles, 6 caimans, 2 alligators and 1 gharial. We feature the American Alligator, alligator mississippiensis. The second type of alligator in the world is the highly endangered Chinese Alligator, which is a comparatively small 6 feet long. The Chinese gator was the influence for the design of the original Chinese dragon.

At Gator Beach , we recognize that extinction is forever, and we work to help our community protect its natural wildlife. We are proud supporters of the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, a local nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates injured wildlife.