The American alligator can weigh up to 1,000 pounds and reach lengths of up to 15 feet, according to National Geographic. Female alligators are significantly shorter than males, at about 10 feet in length.
American alligators live in the southeastern United States, mostly in Florida and Louisiana. As an apex predator, the American alligator has no natural enemies and preys on whatever it can catch, though it primarily feeds on small mammals, turtles and fish. Human attacks are rare. Young alligators are extremely vulnerable in their first years of life, even under the protection of their mothers, which lasts approximately two years.
