American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

The largest reptile in North America, the iconic American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is considered to be a living fossil, having survived on Earth in the same form for 200 million years (2) (4). The name ‘alligator’ derives from the Spanish ‘el lagarto’ meaning ‘the lizard’, while the species name means ‘of the Mississippi’ (5). Though often confused with various crocodile species, the American alligator can be distinguished by its rounded snout, and by the fact that when the jaws are closed, none of the lower teeth are visible (6). Leer más.