The American Alligator

Paper Summary:

This paper describes various aspects of the American alligator including the regions it inhabits, the type of climate it favors, its primary habitat and its origins. It also looks discusses the threat posed to alligators by humans and what the government has done to try to protect them from extinction.

From the Paper:

"The American alligator is a cold-blooded member of the reptile family. The American alligator got its name from Spanish explorers who named it "el largarto," which means "the lizard." Since the body temperature of the alligator is the same as the temperature around it, the American alligator lives only in the southeastern states of America. Since that's in the vicinity of the Mississippi, the American alligator's scientific name is alligator mississippiensis, although the highest populations of alligators are found in Florida and Louisiana. In Florida, alligators are found in almost every body of water, with the highest concentrations being in the Central and South regions. Prime alligator habitats are swamps, marshes, lakes, and drainage canals. Alligators prefer a climate that is warm, wet, light and cool, and always stay near their body of water. The American alligator prefers fresh water to salt water."

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