Alligator: Difference between revisions

Alligators; Temporal range: Oligocene-Recent, 37–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	An American (top) and Chinese alligator (bottom)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauria
Order:	Crocodilia
Family:	Alligatoridae
Subfamily:	Alligatorinae
Genus:	Alligator; Daudin, 1809
Type species
	Alligator mississipiensis; Daudin, 1802 (originally Crocodylus)
Species
	†Alligator mcgrewi; †Alligator mefferdi; Alligator mississippiensis; †Alligator olseni; †Alligator prenasalis; Alligator sinensis;

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An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. The two living species are the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (A. sinensis). In addition, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Alligators first appeared during the Oligocene epoch about 37 million years ago.^[1]

The name "alligator" is an anglicized form of el lagarto, the Spanish term for "the lizard", which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator.

Species (extant)

American alligator (A. mississippiensis)
Chinese alligator (A. sinensis)

Description

A large adult American alligator's weight and length is 360 kg (790 lb) and 4.0 m (13.1 ft), but they can grow to 4.4 m (14 ft) long and weigh over 450 kg (990 lb).^[2] The largest ever recorded, found in Louisiana, measured 5.84 m (19.2 ft).^[3] The Chinese alligator is smaller, rarely exceeding 2.1 m (6.9 ft) in length.

No average lifespan for an alligator has been measured.^[4] In 1937, a one-year-old specimen was brought to the Belgrade Zoo in Serbia from Germany. It is now 76 years old.^[5] Although no valid records exist about its date of birth, this alligator, officially named Muja, is considered the oldest alligator living in captivity. ^[6]

Habitat

Alligators of various ages in Everglades National Park

Alligators are native only to the United States and China.^{[citation needed]}

American alligators are found in the southeast United States: all of Florida and Louisiana, the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, coastal South and North Carolina, East Texas, the southeast corner of Oklahoma, and the southern tip of Arkansas. According to the 2005 Scholastic Book of World Records, Louisiana has the largest alligator population.^[7] The majority of American alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana, with over a million alligators in each state. Southern Florida is the only place where both alligators and crocodiles live side by side.^{[citation needed]}

American alligators live in freshwater environments, such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and swamps, as well as in brackish environments.^[8] When they construct alligator holes in the wetlands, they increase plant diversity and provide habitat for other animals during droughts.^[9] They are, therefore, considered an important species for maintaining ecological diversity in wetlands.^[10] Further west, in Louisiana, heavy grazing by nutria (coypu) and muskrat are causing severe damage to coastal wetlands. Large alligators feed extensively on nutria, and provide a vital ecological service by reducing nutria numbers.^[11]

The Chinese alligator currently is found only in the Yangtze River valley^{[citation needed]} and is extremely endangered, with only a few dozen believed to be left in the wild. Indeed, far more Chinese alligators live in zoos around the world than can be found in the wild. Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in southern Louisiana has several in captivity in an attempt to preserve the species. Miami MetroZoo in Florida also has a breeding pair of Chinese alligators.

Behavior

Large male alligators are solitary territorial animals. Smaller alligators can often be found in large numbers close to each other. The largest of the species (both males and females) defend prime territory; smaller alligators have a higher tolerance for other alligators within a similar size class.

Although the alligator has a heavy body and a slow metabolism, it is capable of short bursts of speed, especially in very short lunges. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals they can kill and eat with a single bite. They may kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it into the water to drown. Alligators consume food that can not be eaten in one bite by allowing it to rot, or by biting and then spinning or convulsing wildly until bite-sized chunks are torn off. This is referred to as a "death roll". Critical to the alligator's ability to initiate a death roll, the tail must flex to a significant angle relative to its body. An alligator with an immobilized tail cannot perform a death roll.^[12]

Most of the muscle in an alligator's jaw evolved to bite and grip prey. The muscles that close the jaws are exceptionally powerful, but the muscles for opening their jaws are comparatively weak. As a result, an adult human can hold an alligator's jaws shut bare-handed. It is common today to use several wraps of duct tape to prevent an adult alligator from opening its jaws when being handled or transported.^[13]

Alligators are generally timid towards humans and tend to walk or swim away if one approaches. This has led some people to the practice of approaching alligators and their nests in a manner that may provoke the animals into attacking. In Florida, feeding wild alligators at any time is illegal. If fed, the alligators will eventually lose their fear of humans and will learn to associate humans with food, thereby becoming a greater danger to people.^[14]

Diet

The type of food eaten by alligators depends upon their age and size. When young, alligators eat fish, insects, snails, crustaceans, and worms. As they mature, progressively larger prey is taken, including larger fish such as gar, turtles, and various mammals, particularly nutria and muskrat,^[8] as well as birds, deer, and other reptiles.^[15]^[16] Their stomachs also often contain gizzard stones. They will even consume carrion if they are sufficiently hungry. In some cases, larger alligators are known to ambush dogs, Florida panthers and black bears, making it the apex predator throughout its distribution. In this role as a top predator, it may determine the abundance of prey species, including turtles and nutria^[17]^[18] As humans encroach into their habitat, attacks are few but not unknown. Alligators, unlike the large crocodiles, do not immediately regard a human upon encounter as prey, but may still attack in self-defense if provoked.

Reproduction

Alligators generally mature at a length of 6 feet (1.8 m)^*. The mating season is in late spring. In April and May, alligators form so-called "bellowing choruses". Large groups of animals bellow together for a few minutes a few times a day, usually one to three hours after sunrise. The bellows of male American alligators are accompanied by powerful blasts of infrasound.^[19] Another form of male display is a loud head-slap.^[20] Recently, on spring nights alligators were found to gather in large numbers for group courtship, the so-called "alligator dances".^[21]

In summer, the female builds a nest of vegetation where the decomposition of the vegetation provides the heat needed to incubate the eggs. The sex of the offspring is determined by the temperature in the nest and is fixed within seven to 21 days of the start of incubation. Incubation temperatures of 86°F (30°C) or lower produce a clutch of females; those of 93°F (34°C)} or higher produce entirely males. Nests constructed on leaves are hotter than those constructed on wet marsh, so the former tend to produce males and the latter, females. The natural sex ratio at hatching is five females to one male. Females hatched from eggs incubated at 86°F weigh significantly more than males hatched from eggs incubated at 93°F.^[22] The mother defends the nest from predators and assists the hatchlings to water. She will provide protection to the young for about a year if they remain in the area. The largest threat to the young are adult alligators. The baby alligator's egg tooth helps it get out of its egg during hatching time. Predation by adults on young can account for a mortality rate of up to 50% in the first year. In the past, immediately following the outlawing of alligator hunting, populations rebounded quickly due to the suppressed number of adults preying upon juveniles, increasing survival among the young alligators.

Alligator bellow

Alligator bellow, ogg/Vorbis format.

Another alligator bellow

Alligator bellow, ogg/Vorbis format.

Alligator hiss

Alligator hiss ogg/Vorbis format.

Problems playing these files? See media help.

Anatomy

Alligators, much like birds, have been shown to exhibit unidirectional movement of air through their lungs.^[23] All other amniotes are believed to exhibit bidirectional, or tidal breathing. For a tidal breathing animal, such as a mammal, air flows into and out of the lungs through branching bronchi which terminate in small dead-end chambers called alveoli. As the alveoli represent dead-ends to flow, the inspired air must move back out the same way it came in. In contrast, air in alligator lungs makes a circuit, moving in only one direction through the parabronchi. The air first enters the outer branch, moves through the parabronchi, and exits the lung through the inner branch. Extensive vasculature around the parabronchi are where oxygen exchange takes place.^[24]

They have muscular, flat tails that propel them while swimming.

The two kinds of white alligators are albino and leucistic. These alligators are practically impossible to find in the wild. They could survive only in captivity and are few in number.^[25]^[26] The Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans has leucistic alligators found in a Louisiana swamp in 1987.^[26]

Human uses

Alligators are raised commercially for their meat and skin, which is used for bags and shoes. They also provide economic benefits through the ecotourism industry. Visitors may take swamp tours, in which alligators are a feature. Their most important economic benefit to humans may be the control of nutria and muskrats.^[27] Louisiana spends millions of dollars of bounty money to control nutria.^{[citation needed]} This service is provided by alligators.

References

^ The Paleobiology Database: Alligatoridae
^ "American Alligator and our National Parks". Eparks.org. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
^ "Louisiana Alligator Advisory Council". Retrieved 2010-03-07.
^ Kaku, Michio (March 2011). Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny And Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100. Doubleday. pp. 150, 151. ISBN 978-0-385-53080-4. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
^ "Oldest alligator in the world". b92.net. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
^ "The oldest alligator living in captivity". shekoos.wordpress.com. 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
^ 2005 Scholastic Book of World Records
^ ^a ^b Dundee, H. A., and D. A. Rossman. 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.
^ Craighead, F. C., Sr. (1968). The role of the alligator in shaping plant communities and maintaining wildlife in the southern Everglades. The Florida Naturalist, 41, 2–7, 69–74.
^ Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Chapter 4.
^ Keddy, P.A., L. Gough, J.A. Nyman, T. McFalls, J. Carter and J. Siegrist. 2009. Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: A trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. p. 115-133 in B.R. Silliman, E.D. Grosholz, and M.D. Bertness (eds.) Human Impacts on Salt Marshes. A Global Perspective. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA
^ Fish, Frank E. (2007). "Death roll of the alligator: mechanics of twist feeding in water" (PDF). The Journal of Experimental Biology. 210 (16): 2811–2818. doi:10.1242/jeb.004267. PMID 17690228. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ Crocodilian Captive Care FAQ: How to properly handle/transport crocodilians etc.
^ Living with Alligators
^ Wolfe, J. L., D. K. Bradshaw, and R. H. Chabreck. 1987. Alligator feeding habits: New data and a review. Northeast Gulf Science 9: 1–8.
^ Gabrey, S. W. 2005. Impacts of the nutria removal program on the diet of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in south Louisiana. Report to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, New Orleans.
^ Bondavalli, C., and R. E. Ulanowicz. 1998. Unexpected effects of predators upon their prey: The case of the American alligator. Ecosystems 2: 49–63.
^ Keddy, P.A., L. Gough, J.A. Nyman, T. McFalls, J. Carter and J. Siegrist. 2009. Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: A trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. p. 115-133 in B.R. Silliman, E.D. Grosholz, and M.D. Bertness (eds.) Human Impacts on Salt Marshes. A Global Perspective. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
^ "Can Animals Predict Disaster? - Listening to Infrasound | Nature". PBS. 2004-12-26. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
^ Garrick, L. D. and Lang, J. W. (1977). "Social Displays of the American Alligator". American Zoologist. 17: 225–239.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Dinets, V. (2010). "Nocturnal behavior of the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) in the wild during the mating season" (PDF). Herpetological Bulletin. 111: 4–11.
^ Mark W. J. Ferguson & Ted Joanen (1982). "Temperature of egg incubation determines sex in Alligator mississippiensis". Nature. 296 (5860): 850–853. doi:10.1038/296850a0. PMID 7070524.
^ Farmer, C. G., and Sanders, K. (2010). "Unidirectional Airflow in the Lungs of Alligators". Science. 327 (5963): 338–340. doi:10.1126/science.1180219. PMID 20075253. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Science News; February 13, 2010; Page 11
^ "White albino alligators". softpedia.com. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
^ ^a ^b "Mississippi River Gallery".
^ Keddy, P. A., Gough, L., Nyman, J. A., McFalls, T., Carter, J., and Siegnist, J. (2009a). Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: a trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. In Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective, eds. B. R. Silliman, E. D. Grosholz, and M. D. Bertness, pp. 115–33. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

External links

The dictionary definition of alligator at Wiktionary

[PBDB-1] The Paleobiology Database: Alligatoridae

[2] "American Alligator and our National Parks". Eparks.org. Retrieved 2008-10-14.

[3] "Louisiana Alligator Advisory Council". Retrieved 2010-03-07.

[4] Kaku, Michio (March 2011). Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny And Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100. Doubleday. pp. 150, 151. ISBN 978-0-385-53080-4. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

[5] "Oldest alligator in the world". b92.net. Retrieved 2012-02-08.

[6] "The oldest alligator living in captivity". shekoos.wordpress.com. 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2013-08-07.

[7] 2005 Scholastic Book of World Records

[Dundee,_H._A._1989-8] Dundee, H. A., and D. A. Rossman. 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.

[9] Craighead, F. C., Sr. (1968). The role of the alligator in shaping plant communities and maintaining wildlife in the southern Everglades. The Florida Naturalist, 41, 2–7, 69–74.

[10] Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Chapter 4.

[11] Keddy, P.A., L. Gough, J.A. Nyman, T. McFalls, J. Carter and J. Siegrist. 2009. Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: A trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. p. 115-133 in B.R. Silliman, E.D. Grosholz, and M.D. Bertness (eds.) Human Impacts on Salt Marshes. A Global Perspective. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA

[12] Fish, Frank E. (2007). "Death roll of the alligator: mechanics of twist feeding in water" (PDF). The Journal of Experimental Biology. 210 (16): 2811–2818. doi:10.1242/jeb.004267. PMID 17690228. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

[13] Crocodilian Captive Care FAQ: How to properly handle/transport crocodilians etc.

[14] Living with Alligators

[15] Wolfe, J. L., D. K. Bradshaw, and R. H. Chabreck. 1987. Alligator feeding habits: New data and a review. Northeast Gulf Science 9: 1–8.

[16] Gabrey, S. W. 2005. Impacts of the nutria removal program on the diet of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in south Louisiana. Report to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, New Orleans.

[17] Bondavalli, C., and R. E. Ulanowicz. 1998. Unexpected effects of predators upon their prey: The case of the American alligator. Ecosystems 2: 49–63.

[18] Keddy, P.A., L. Gough, J.A. Nyman, T. McFalls, J. Carter and J. Siegrist. 2009. Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: A trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. p. 115-133 in B.R. Silliman, E.D. Grosholz, and M.D. Bertness (eds.) Human Impacts on Salt Marshes. A Global Perspective. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.

[19] "Can Animals Predict Disaster? - Listening to Infrasound | Nature". PBS. 2004-12-26. Retrieved 2013-11-27.

[20] Garrick, L. D. and Lang, J. W. (1977). "Social Displays of the American Alligator". American Zoologist. 17: 225–239.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[21] Dinets, V. (2010). "Nocturnal behavior of the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) in the wild during the mating season" (PDF). Herpetological Bulletin. 111: 4–11.

[22] Mark W. J. Ferguson & Ted Joanen (1982). "Temperature of egg incubation determines sex in Alligator mississippiensis". Nature. 296 (5860): 850–853. doi:10.1038/296850a0. PMID 7070524.

[23] Farmer, C. G., and Sanders, K. (2010). "Unidirectional Airflow in the Lungs of Alligators". Science. 327 (5963): 338–340. doi:10.1126/science.1180219. PMID 20075253. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[24] Science News; February 13, 2010; Page 11

[albino-25] "White albino alligators". softpedia.com. Retrieved 2008-10-27.

[leucistic-26] "Mississippi River Gallery".

[27] Keddy, P. A., Gough, L., Nyman, J. A., McFalls, T., Carter, J., and Siegnist, J. (2009a). Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: a trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. In Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective, eds. B. R. Silliman, E. D. Grosholz, and M. D. Bertness, pp. 115–33. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

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@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 }}
-An '''alligator''' is a [[crocodilia]]n in the [[genus]] ''Alligator'' of the family [[Alligatoridae]]. There are two [[Extant taxon|living]] alligator [[species]]: the [[American alligator]] (''Alligator mississippiensis'') and the [[Chinese alligator]] (''Alligator sinensis''). In addition, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Alligators first appeared during the [[Oligocene]] epoch about 37 million years ago.<ref name = PBDB>[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=38421&is_real_user=1 The Paleobiology Database: Alligatoridae]</ref>
+An '''alligator''' is a [[crocodilia]]n in the [[genus]] ''Alligator'' of the family [[Alligatoridae]]. The two [[Extant taxon|living]]  [[species]] are the [[American alligator]] (''A. mississippiensis'') and the [[Chinese alligator]] (''A. sinensis''). In addition, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Alligators first appeared during the [[Oligocene]] epoch about 37 million years ago.<ref name = PBDB>[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=38421&is_real_user=1 The Paleobiology Database: Alligatoridae]</ref>
-The name ''alligator'' is an [[anglicization|anglicized]] form of ''{{lang|es|el lagarto}}'', the Spanish term for "the lizard", which early Spanish explorers and settlers in [[Florida]] called the alligator.
+The name "alligator" is an [[anglicization|anglicized]] form of ''{{lang|es|el lagarto}}'', the Spanish term for "the lizard", which early Spanish explorers and settlers in [[Florida]] called the alligator.
-==Species (Extant)==
+==Species (extant)==
 <gallery widths="215px" heights="200px">
-File:AmericanAlligator.JPG|[[American alligator]] (''Alligator mississippiensis'')
+File:AmericanAlligator.JPG|[[American alligator]] (''A. mississippiensis'')
-File:ChineseAlligator.jpg|[[Chinese alligator]] (''Alligator sinensis'')
+File:ChineseAlligator.jpg|[[Chinese alligator]] (''A. sinensis'')
 </gallery>
 ==Description==
-A large adult American alligator's weight and length is {{convert|360|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and {{convert|4.0|m|ft|abbr=on}} long {{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}, but can grow to {{convert|4.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} long and weigh over {{convert|450|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eparks.org/marine_and_coastal/marine_wildlife/alligator.asp |title=American Alligator and our National Parks |publisher=Eparks.org |date= |accessdate=2008-10-14}}</ref> The largest ever recorded was found in Louisiana and measured {{convert|5.84|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alligatorfur.com/alligator/alligator.htm|title=Louisiana Alligator Advisory Council|date= |accessdate=2010-03-07}}</ref> The Chinese alligator is smaller, rarely exceeding {{convert|2.1|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length.
+A large adult American alligator's weight and length is {{convert|360|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and {{convert|4.0|m|ft|abbr=on}}, but they can grow to {{convert|4.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} long and weigh over {{convert|450|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eparks.org/marine_and_coastal/marine_wildlife/alligator.asp |title=American Alligator and our National Parks |publisher=Eparks.org |date= |accessdate=2008-10-14}}</ref> The largest ever recorded, found in Louisiana, measured {{convert|5.84|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alligatorfur.com/alligator/alligator.htm|title=Louisiana Alligator Advisory Council|date= |accessdate=2010-03-07}}</ref> The Chinese alligator is smaller, rarely exceeding {{convert|2.1|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length.
-There is no measured average lifespan for an alligator.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kaku|first=Michio|authorlink=Michio Kaku|title=[[Physics of the Future|Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny And Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100]]|accessdate=~~~~~|date=March 2011|publisher=Doubleday|isbn=978-0-385-53080-4|pages=150, 151}}</ref> In 1937, a one year-old specimen was brought to the [[Belgrade Zoo]] in [[Serbia]] from [[Germany]]. It is now 76 years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.b92.net/zivot/vesti.php?yyyy=2011&mm=09&dd=07&nav_id=540286|title=Oldest alligator in the world |publisher=b92.net |date= |accessdate=2012-02-08}}</ref> Although there are no valid records about its date of birth, this alligator in the [[Belgrade Zoo]], officially named Muja (eng. Mooya), is considered the oldest alligator living in captivity. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://shekoos.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/the-oldest-alligator-living-in-captivity|title=The oldest alligator living in captivity |publisher=shekoos.wordpress.com |date=2012-02-22 |accessdate=2013-08-07}}</ref>
+No average lifespan for an alligator has been measured.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kaku|first=Michio|authorlink=Michio Kaku|title=[[Physics of the Future|Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny And Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100]]|accessdate=~~~~~|date=March 2011|publisher=Doubleday|isbn=978-0-385-53080-4|pages=150, 151}}</ref> In 1937, a one-year-old specimen was brought to the [[Belgrade Zoo]] in [[Serbia]] from [[Germany]]. It is now 76 years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.b92.net/zivot/vesti.php?yyyy=2011&mm=09&dd=07&nav_id=540286|title=Oldest alligator in the world |publisher=b92.net |date= |accessdate=2012-02-08}}</ref> Although no valid records exist about its date of birth, this alligator, officially named Muja, is considered the oldest alligator living in captivity. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://shekoos.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/the-oldest-alligator-living-in-captivity|title=The oldest alligator living in captivity |publisher=shekoos.wordpress.com |date=2012-02-22 |accessdate=2013-08-07}}</ref>
 ==Habitat==
 [[File:Crocnest.JPG|thumb|left|Alligators of various ages in [[Everglades National Park]]]]
-[[File:Alligator mississippiensis - Oasis Park - 13.jpg|thumb|left|Head of ''Alligator mississippiensis'']]
+[[File:Alligator mississippiensis - Oasis Park - 13.jpg|thumb|left|Head of ''A, mississippiensis'']]
-[[File:Alligator mississippiensis - Oasis Park - 12.jpg|thumb|left|Eye of ''Alligator mississippiensis'']]
+[[File:Alligator mississippiensis - Oasis Park - 12.jpg|thumb|left|Eye of ''A. mississippiensis'']]
 Alligators are native only to the United States and China.{{cn|reason="only" needs rs substantiation|date=June 2013}}
-[[American alligator]]s are found in the [[southeast United States]]: all of [[Florida]] and [[Louisiana]], the southern parts of [[Georgia (US state)|Georgia]], [[Alabama]] and [[Mississippi]], coastal [[South Carolina|South]] and [[North Carolina]], Eastern [[Texas]], the southeast corner of [[Oklahoma]] and the southern tip of [[Arkansas]]. According to the 2005 Scholastic Book of World Records, [[Louisiana]] is the state with the largest alligator population.<ref>2005 Scholastic Book of World Records</ref> The majority of American alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana, with over a million alligators in each state. Southern Florida is the only place where both alligators and [[crocodile]]s live side by side.{{cn|date=June 2013}}
+American alligators are found in the [[southeast United States]]: all of [[Florida]] and [[Louisiana]], the southern parts of [[Georgia (US state)|Georgia]], [[Alabama]], and [[Mississippi]], coastal [[South Carolina|South]] and [[North Carolina]], [[East Texas]], the southeast corner of [[Oklahoma]], and the southern tip of [[Arkansas]]. According to the 2005 Scholastic Book of World Records, Louisiana has the largest alligator population.<ref>2005 Scholastic Book of World Records</ref> The majority of American alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana, with over a million alligators in each state. Southern Florida is the only place where both alligators and [[crocodile]]s live side by side.{{cn|date=June 2013}}
-American alligators live in [[freshwater]] environments, such as ponds, [[marsh]]es, [[wetland]]s, rivers, lakes, and [[swamp]]s, as well as in brackish environments.<ref name="Dundee, H. A. 1989">Dundee, H. A., and D. A. Rossman. 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.</ref> When they construct gator holes in the wetlands, they increase plant diversity and also provide habitat for other animals during drought periods.<ref>Craighead, F. C., Sr. (1968). The role of the alligator in shaping plant communities and maintaining wildlife in the southern Everglades. The Florida Naturalist, 41, 2–7, 69–74.</ref>  They are therefore considered an important species for maintaining ecological diversity in wetlands.<ref>Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Chapter 4.</ref> Further west, in Louisiana, heavy grazing by [[nutria]] (coypu) and [[muskrat]] are causing severe damage to coastal wetlands.  Large alligators feed extensively on nutria, and provide a vital ecological service by reducing nutria numbers.<ref>Keddy, P.A., L. Gough, J.A. Nyman, T. McFalls, J. Carter and J. Siegrist. 2009. Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: A trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. p. 115-133 in B.R. Silliman, E.D. Grosholz, and M.D. Bertness (eds.) Human Impacts on Salt Marshes. A Global Perspective. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA</ref>
+American alligators live in [[freshwater]] environments, such as ponds, [[marsh]]es, [[wetland]]s, rivers, lakes, and [[swamp]]s, as well as in brackish environments.<ref name="Dundee, H. A. 1989">Dundee, H. A., and D. A. Rossman. 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.</ref> When they construct alligator holes in the wetlands, they increase plant diversity and provide habitat for other animals during droughts.<ref>Craighead, F. C., Sr. (1968). The role of the alligator in shaping plant communities and maintaining wildlife in the southern Everglades. The Florida Naturalist, 41, 2–7, 69–74.</ref>  They are, therefore, considered an important species for maintaining ecological diversity in wetlands.<ref>Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Chapter 4.</ref> Further west, in Louisiana, heavy grazing by [[nutria]] (coypu) and [[muskrat]] are causing severe damage to coastal wetlands.  Large alligators feed extensively on nutria, and provide a vital ecological service by reducing nutria numbers.<ref>Keddy, P.A., L. Gough, J.A. Nyman, T. McFalls, J. Carter and J. Siegrist. 2009. Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: A trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. p. 115-133 in B.R. Silliman, E.D. Grosholz, and M.D. Bertness (eds.) Human Impacts on Salt Marshes. A Global Perspective. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA</ref>
 The Chinese alligator currently is found only in the [[Yangtze River]] valley{{cn|date=June 2013}} and is extremely endangered, with only a few dozen believed to be left in the wild. Indeed, far more Chinese alligators live in zoos around the world than can be found in the wild. Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in southern Louisiana has several in captivity in an attempt to preserve the species. [[Zoo Miami|Miami MetroZoo]] in Florida also has a breeding pair of Chinese alligators.
 ==Behavior==
-Large male alligators are [[wikt:solitary|solitary]] [[territory (animal)|territorial]] animals. Smaller alligators can often be found in large numbers close to each other. The largest of the species (both males and females), will defend prime territory; smaller alligators have a higher tolerance of other alligators within a similar size class.
+Large male alligators are [[wikt:solitary|solitary]] [[territory (animal)|territorial]] animals. Smaller alligators can often be found in large numbers close to each other. The largest of the species (both males and females) defend prime territory; smaller alligators have a higher tolerance for other alligators within a similar size class.
-Although alligators have a heavy body and a slow [[metabolism]], they are capable of short bursts of speed, especially in very short lunges. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals that they can kill and eat with a single bite. Alligators may kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it into the water to drown. Alligators consume food that can not be eaten in one bite by allowing it to rot, or by biting and then spinning or convulsing wildly until bite-size chunks are torn off. This is referred to as a "death roll." Critical to the alligator's ability to initiate a death roll, the tail must flex to a significant angle relative to its body. An alligator with an immobilized tail cannot perform a death roll.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Fish | first = Frank E. | coauthors = Bostic, Sandra A.; Nicastro, Anthony J.; Beneski, John T. | title = Death roll of the alligator: mechanics of twist feeding in water | journal = [[The Journal of Experimental Biology]] | volume = 210 | issue = 16 | pages = 2811–2818 | year = 2007 | url =http://darwin.wcupa.edu/~biology/fish/pubs/pdf/2007JEBDedathRoll.pdf |format=PDF | doi = 10.1242/jeb.004267 | pmid = 17690228}}</ref>
+Although the alligator has a heavy body and a slow [[metabolism]], it is capable of short bursts of speed, especially in very short lunges. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals they can kill and eat with a single bite. They may kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it into the water to drown. Alligators consume food that can not be eaten in one bite by allowing it to rot, or by biting and then spinning or convulsing wildly until bite-sized chunks are torn off. This is referred to as a "death roll".  Critical to the alligator's ability to initiate a death roll, the tail must flex to a significant angle relative to its body. An alligator with an immobilized tail cannot perform a death roll.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Fish | first = Frank E. | coauthors = Bostic, Sandra A.; Nicastro, Anthony J.; Beneski, John T. | title = Death roll of the alligator: mechanics of twist feeding in water | journal = [[The Journal of Experimental Biology]] | volume = 210 | issue = 16 | pages = 2811–2818 | year = 2007 | url =http://darwin.wcupa.edu/~biology/fish/pubs/pdf/2007JEBDedathRoll.pdf |format=PDF | doi = 10.1242/jeb.004267 | pmid = 17690228}}</ref>
-Most of the muscle in an alligator's jaw evolved to bite and grip prey. The muscles that close the jaws are exceptionally powerful, but the muscles for opening their jaws are comparatively weak. As a result, an adult human can hold an alligator's jaws shut barehanded. It is common today to use several wraps of [[duct tape]] to prevent an adult alligator from opening its jaws when handled or transported.<ref>[http://crocodilian.com/crocfaq/faq-3.html Crocodilian Captive Care FAQ:] How to properly handle/transport crocodilians etc.</ref>
+Most of the muscle in an alligator's jaw evolved to bite and grip prey. The muscles that close the jaws are exceptionally powerful, but the muscles for opening their jaws are comparatively weak. As a result, an adult human can hold an alligator's jaws shut bare-handed. It is common today to use several wraps of [[duct tape]] to prevent an adult alligator from opening its jaws when being handled or transported.<ref>[http://crocodilian.com/crocfaq/faq-3.html Crocodilian Captive Care FAQ:] How to properly handle/transport crocodilians etc.</ref>
-Alligators are generally timid towards humans and tend to walk or swim away if one approaches. This has led some people to the practice of approaching alligators and their nests in a manner that may provoke the animals into attacking. In the state of [[Florida]], it is illegal to feed wild alligators at any time. If fed, the alligators will eventually lose their fear of humans and will learn to associate humans with food, thereby becoming a greater danger to people.<ref>[http://www.myfwc.com/CONSERVATION/ConservationYou_Living_w_Wildlife_alligators.htm Living ''with'' Alligators]</ref>
+Alligators are generally timid towards humans and tend to walk or swim away if one approaches. This has led some people to the practice of approaching alligators and their nests in a manner that may provoke the animals into attacking. In Florida, feeding wild alligators at any time is illegal. If fed, the alligators will eventually lose their fear of humans and will learn to associate humans with food, thereby becoming a greater danger to people.<ref>[http://www.myfwc.com/CONSERVATION/ConservationYou_Living_w_Wildlife_alligators.htm Living ''with'' Alligators]</ref>
 ==Diet==
-The type of food eaten by alligators depends upon their age and size. When young, alligators eat fish, insects, [[snail]]s, [[crustacean]]s, and [[worm]]s. As they mature, progressively larger prey is taken, including larger fish such as [[gar]], turtles, various mammals, particularly nutria and muskrat,<ref name="Dundee, H. A. 1989"/> as well as birds, deer and other reptiles.<ref>Wolfe, J. L., D. K. Bradshaw, and R. H. Chabreck. 1987. Alligator feeding habits: New data and a review. Northeast Gulf Science 9: 1–8.</ref><ref>Gabrey, S. W. 2005. Impacts of the nutria removal program on the diet of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in south Louisiana. Report to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, New Orleans.</ref> Their stomachs also often contain [[gastrolith|gizzard stone]]s. They will even consume [[carrion]] if they are sufficiently hungry. In some cases, larger alligators are known to ambush dogs, [[Florida panther]] and [[American Black Bear|black bears]], making it the [[apex predator]] throughout its distribution. In this role as a top predator, it may determine the abundance of prey species including turtles and nutria<ref>Bondavalli, C., and R. E. Ulanowicz. 1998. Unexpected effects of predators upon their prey: The case of the American alligator. Ecosystems 2: 49–63.</ref><ref>Keddy, P.A., L. Gough, J.A. Nyman, T. McFalls, J. Carter and J. Siegrist. 2009. Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: A trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. p. 115-133 in B.R. Silliman, E.D. Grosholz, and M.D. Bertness (eds.) Human Impacts on Salt Marshes. A Global Perspective. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.</ref> As humans encroach onto their habitat, attacks are few but not unknown. Alligators, [[differences between crocodiles and alligators|unlike the large crocodiles]], do not immediately regard a human upon encounter as prey, but may still attack in self-defense if provoked.
+The type of food eaten by alligators depends upon their age and size. When young, alligators eat fish, insects, [[snail]]s, [[crustacean]]s, and [[worm]]s. As they mature, progressively larger prey is taken, including larger fish such as [[gar]], turtles, and various mammals, particularly nutria and muskrat,<ref name="Dundee, H. A. 1989"/> as well as birds, deer, and other reptiles.<ref>Wolfe, J. L., D. K. Bradshaw, and R. H. Chabreck. 1987. Alligator feeding habits: New data and a review. Northeast Gulf Science 9: 1–8.</ref><ref>Gabrey, S. W. 2005. Impacts of the nutria removal program on the diet of American alligators (''Alligator mississippiensis'') in south Louisiana. Report to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, New Orleans.</ref> Their stomachs also often contain [[gastrolith|gizzard stone]]s. They will even consume [[carrion]] if they are sufficiently hungry. In some cases, larger alligators are known to ambush dogs, [[Florida panther]]s and [[American Black Bear|black bears]], making it the [[apex predator]] throughout its distribution. In this role as a top predator, it may determine the abundance of prey species, including turtles and nutria<ref>Bondavalli, C., and R. E. Ulanowicz. 1998. Unexpected effects of predators upon their prey: The case of the American alligator. Ecosystems 2: 49–63.</ref><ref>Keddy, P.A., L. Gough, J.A. Nyman, T. McFalls, J. Carter and J. Siegrist. 2009. Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: A trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. p. 115-133 in B.R. Silliman, E.D. Grosholz, and M.D. Bertness (eds.) Human Impacts on Salt Marshes. A Global Perspective. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.</ref> As humans encroach into their habitat, attacks are few but not unknown. Alligators, [[differences between crocodiles and alligators|unlike the large crocodiles]], do not immediately regard a human upon encounter as prey, but may still attack in self-defense if provoked.
 ==Reproduction==
 [[File:Alligator eggs and young alligators.jpg|thumb|left|Alligator eggs and young]]
 [[File:Alligator mississippiensis babies.jpg|thumb|Baby alligators]]
-[[File:Albino Alligator 2008.jpg|thumb|right|A rare [[Albinism|albino]] American alligator.]]
+[[File:Albino Alligator 2008.jpg|thumb|right|A rare [[Albinism|albino]] American alligator]]
-[[File:Albino Alligator in Water.jpg|thumb|right|An albino alligator swimming.]]
+[[File:Albino Alligator in Water.jpg|thumb|right|An albino alligator swimming]]
-Alligators generally mature at a length of {{Convert|6|ft|m}}. The mating season is in late spring. In April and May, alligators form so-called "bellowing choruses". Large groups of animals bellow together for a few minutes a few times a day, usually one-three hours after sunrise. The bellows of male American alligators are accompanied by powerful blasts of [[infrasound]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/can-animals-predict-disaster/listening-to-infrasound/133/ |title=Can Animals Predict Disaster? - Listening to Infrasound &#124; Nature |publisher=PBS |date=2004-12-26 |accessdate=2013-11-27}}</ref> Another form of male display is a loud head-slap.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Garrick, L. D. and Lang, J. W. | year = 1977 | title = Social Displays of the American Alligator| journal =[[American Zoologist]] |volume=17 | pages = 225–239}}</ref> Recently it was discovered that on spring nights alligators gather in large numbers for group courtship, the so-called "alligator dances".<ref>{{cite journal | author=Dinets, V. | year = 2010 | title = Nocturnal behavior of the American Alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis'') in the wild during the mating season| journal = [[Herpetological Bulletin]] |volume=111 |pages=4–11 |url=http://dinets.travel.ru/HB%20111%20Dinets%202010.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref>
+Alligators generally mature at a length of {{Convert|6|ft|m|abr=on}}. The mating season is in late spring. In April and May, alligators form so-called "bellowing choruses". Large groups of animals bellow together for a few minutes a few times a day, usually one to three hours after sunrise. The bellows of male American alligators are accompanied by powerful blasts of [[infrasound]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/can-animals-predict-disaster/listening-to-infrasound/133/ |title=Can Animals Predict Disaster? - Listening to Infrasound &#124; Nature |publisher=PBS |date=2004-12-26 |accessdate=2013-11-27}}</ref> Another form of male display is a loud head-slap.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Garrick, L. D. and Lang, J. W. | year = 1977 | title = Social Displays of the American Alligator| journal =[[American Zoologist]] |volume=17 | pages = 225–239}}</ref> Recently, on spring nights alligators were found to gather in large numbers for group courtship, the so-called "alligator dances".<ref>{{cite journal | author=Dinets, V. | year = 2010 | title = Nocturnal behavior of the American Alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis'') in the wild during the mating season| journal = [[Herpetological Bulletin]] |volume=111 |pages=4–11 |url=http://dinets.travel.ru/HB%20111%20Dinets%202010.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref>
-In summer, the female builds a nest of vegetation where the decomposition of the vegetation provides the heat needed to incubate the eggs. [[Temperature-dependent sex determination|The sex of the offspring is determined by the temperature in the nest]] and is fixed within 7 to 21 days of the start of incubation. Incubation temperatures of {{Convert|86|°F|°C}} or lower produce a clutch of females; those of {{Convert|93|°F|°C}} or higher produce entirely males. Nests constructed on leaves are hotter than those constructed on wet marsh and, thus, the former tend to produce males and the latter, females. The natural sex ratio at hatching is five females to one male. Females hatched from eggs incubated at {{Convert|86|°F|°C}} weigh significantly more than males hatched from eggs incubated at {{Convert|93|°F|°C}}.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Mark W. J. Ferguson & Ted Joanen |year=1982 |title=Temperature of egg incubation determines sex in ''Alligator mississippiensis'' |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=296 |issue=5860 |pages=850–853 |doi=10.1038/296850a0 |pmid=7070524}}</ref> The mother will defend the nest from predators and will assist the hatchlings to water. She will provide protection to the young for about a year if they remain in the area. The largest threat to the young are adult alligators. Baby alligators have an [[egg tooth]] that helps them get out of their egg during hatching time. Predation by adults on young can account for a mortality rate of up to fifty percent in the first year. In the past, immediately following the outlawing of alligator [[hunting]], populations rebounded quickly due to the suppressed number of adults preying upon juveniles, increasing survival among the young alligators.
+In summer, the female builds a nest of vegetation where the decomposition of the vegetation provides the heat needed to incubate the eggs. [[Temperature-dependent sex determination|The sex of the offspring]] is determined by the temperature in the nest and is fixed within seven to 21 days of the start of incubation. Incubation temperatures of 86°F (30°C) or lower produce a clutch of females; those of 93°F (34°C)} or higher produce entirely males. Nests constructed on leaves are hotter than those constructed on wet marsh, so the former tend to produce males and the latter, females. The natural sex ratio at hatching is five females to one male. Females hatched from eggs incubated at 86°F weigh significantly more than males hatched from eggs incubated at 93°F.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Mark W. J. Ferguson & Ted Joanen |year=1982 |title=Temperature of egg incubation determines sex in ''Alligator mississippiensis'' |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=296 |issue=5860 |pages=850–853 |doi=10.1038/296850a0 |pmid=7070524}}</ref> The mother  defends the nest from predators and assists the hatchlings to water. She will provide protection to the young for about a year if they remain in the area. The largest threat to the young are adult alligators. The baby alligator's [[egg tooth]]  helps it get out of its egg during hatching time. Predation by adults on young can account for a mortality rate of up to 50% in the first year. In the past, immediately following the outlawing of alligator [[hunting]], populations rebounded quickly due to the suppressed number of adults preying upon juveniles, increasing survival among the young alligators.
 {{listen
@@ Line 87: / Line 87: @@
 ==Anatomy==
-Alligators, much like birds, have been shown to exhibit unidirectional movement of air through their lungs.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Farmer, C. G., and Sanders, K. | year = 2010 | month = January | title = Unidirectional Airflow in the Lungs of Alligators| journal =[[Science (journal)|Science]] | volume = 327 |issue=5963 |pages=338–340 | url = http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/327/5963/338 | pmid=20075253 | doi=10.1126/science.1180219}}</ref> All other [[amniote]]s are believed to exhibit bidirectional, or tidal breathing. For a tidal breathing animal, such as a mammal, air flows into and out of the lungs through branching [[bronchi]] which terminate in small dead-end chambers called [[alveoli]]. As the alveoli represent dead-ends to flow, the inspired air must move back out the same way that it came in. In contrast air in alligator lungs makes a circuit moving in only one direction through the [[parabronchi]]. The air first enters the outer branch, moves through the parabronchi, and exits the lung through the inner branch. Extensive vasculature around the parabronchi are where oxygen exchange takes place.<ref>Science News; February 13, 2010; Page 11</ref>
+Alligators, much like birds, have been shown to exhibit unidirectional movement of air through their lungs.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Farmer, C. G., and Sanders, K. | year = 2010 | month = January | title = Unidirectional Airflow in the Lungs of Alligators| journal =[[Science (journal)|Science]] | volume = 327 |issue=5963 |pages=338–340 | url = http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/327/5963/338 | pmid=20075253 | doi=10.1126/science.1180219}}</ref> All other [[amniote]]s are believed to exhibit bidirectional, or tidal breathing. For a tidal breathing animal, such as a mammal, air flows into and out of the lungs through branching [[bronchi]] which terminate in small dead-end chambers called [[alveoli]]. As the alveoli represent dead-ends to flow, the inspired air must move back out the same way it came in. In contrast, air in alligator lungs makes a circuit, moving in only one direction through the [[parabronchi]]. The air first enters the outer branch, moves through the parabronchi, and exits the lung through the inner branch. Extensive vasculature around the parabronchi are where oxygen exchange takes place.<ref>Science News; February 13, 2010; Page 11</ref>
-They have muscular flat tails that propel them while swimming.
+They have muscular, flat tails that propel them while swimming.
-There are two kinds of white alligators, [[albino]] and [[Leucism|leucistic]]. These alligators are practically impossible to find in the wild. They could survive only in captivity and are few in number.<ref name="albino">{{cite web|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/White-albino-alligators-54575.shtml|title=White albino alligators |publisher=softpedia.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-27}}</ref><ref name="leucistic">{{cite web|url=http://www.auduboninstitute.org/visit/aquarium/fun-favorites/mississippi-river-gallery|title=Mississippi River Gallery}}</ref> The [[Aquarium of the Americas]] in [[New Orleans]] has leucistic alligators found in a Louisiana swamp in 1987.<ref name="leucistic" />
+The two kinds of white alligators are [[albino]] and [[Leucism|leucistic]]. These alligators are practically impossible to find in the wild. They could survive only in captivity and are few in number.<ref name="albino">{{cite web|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/White-albino-alligators-54575.shtml|title=White albino alligators |publisher=softpedia.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-27}}</ref><ref name="leucistic">{{cite web|url=http://www.auduboninstitute.org/visit/aquarium/fun-favorites/mississippi-river-gallery|title=Mississippi River Gallery}}</ref> The [[Aquarium of the Americas]] in [[New Orleans]] has leucistic alligators found in a Louisiana swamp in 1987.<ref name="leucistic" />
 ==Human uses==
 {{Main|Alligator farm}}
-Alligators are raised commercially for their meat and skin, which is used for bags and shoes. They also provide economic benefits through the ecotourism industry. Visitors may take swamp tours, in which alligators are a feature. Their most important economic benefit to humans may be the control of [[coypu|nutria]] and [[muskrats]].<ref>Keddy, P. A., Gough, L., Nyman, J. A., McFalls, T., Carter, J., and Siegnist, J. (2009a). Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: a trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. In Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective, eds. B. R. Silliman, E. D. Grosholz, and M. D. Bertness, pp. 115–33. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.</ref>  Louisiana spends millions of dollars of bounty money to control nutria.{{cn|date=November 2013}} This service is provided by alligators.
+Alligators are raised commercially for their meat and skin, which is used for bags and shoes. They also provide economic benefits through the ecotourism industry. Visitors may take swamp tours, in which alligators are a feature. Their most important economic benefit to humans may be the control of [[nutria]] and [[muskrats]].<ref>Keddy, P. A., Gough, L., Nyman, J. A., McFalls, T., Carter, J., and Siegnist, J. (2009a). Alligator hunters, pelt traders, and runaway consumption of Gulf coast marshes: a trophic cascade perspective on coastal wetland losses. In Human Impacts on Salt Marshes: A Global Perspective, eds. B. R. Silliman, E. D. Grosholz, and M. D. Bertness, pp. 115–33. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.</ref>  Louisiana spends millions of dollars of bounty money to control nutria.{{cn|date=November 2013}} This service is provided by alligators.
 ==See also==
 {{Portal|Amphibians and reptiles}}
-*[[Alligatoridae]]
+*[[American crocodile]]
-*[[American Alligator]]
-*[[American Crocodile]]
 *[[Alligatoridae#Caimans|Caiman]]
-*[[Crocodiles]]
 *[[List of fatal alligator attacks in the United States by decade]]
 ==References==
-{{Reflist|2}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==

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