Balt, MDVisit Us: Baltimore, MD »

Experience a 3-hour showcase of more than 16,000 animals including sharks, birds, frogs, turtles, dolphins, and jellies.

Wash, DCVisit Us: Washington, DC »

Enjoy a 45-minute introduction of America's Aquatic Treasures featuring more than 1,500 animals including alligators, sharks, and turtles.

Balt, MDExplore: Baltimore, MD »

Experience a 3-hour showcase of more than 16,000 animals including sharks, birds, frogs, turtles, dolphins, and jellies.

Wash, DCExplore: Washington, DC »

Enjoy a 45-minute introduction of America's Aquatic Treasures featuring more than 1,500 animals including alligators, sharks, and turtles.

Wash, DC

American Alligator

The American alligator is a large, primarily aquatic crocodilian with a large head and a large, powerful keeled tail.

Alligators have 80–100 teeth. When teeth wear down, new teeth grow in. An alligator may go through 2,000–3,000 teeth in a lifetime.

Diet

Young American alligators eat a wide variety of small mammals and invertebrates, transitioning to primarily fish and turtles as adults.

Size

Alligators typically grow to a length of 6–16 feet, and males are usually larger than females.

Range

Southeast United States, from Texas to North Carolina

Population Status

The American alligator was once nearly extinct. In the 1970s, strict hunting regulations were put in place to protect the remaining alligators, and they are no longer endangered.

Predators

As young, they are preyed upon by large fish, birds, crocodiles, and even other alligators. As adults, they have no natural predators.

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A Note From the Caretaker

Our alligators are target trained for feeding. Typically, we have one alligator that is trained to respond to a yellow target and one that is trained to respond to a red target. When they touch the appropriate target they get a food reward. This makes feeding a lot safer for the animal care staff as well as for the alligators, and also ensures that each animal is getting the right amount of food.