Ecology Summary - Alligator mississippiensis

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Ecology of Alligator mississippiensis

Main Ref.	Britton, A., 2002
Remarks	Can tolerate saline waters for short periods of time. Construct burrows used for shelter and hibernation at low temperatures. Construct alligator holes for refuge during dry periods. May cross land when alligator holes dry out to find another body of water. Opportunistic feeders. Juveniles feed on small invertebrates (insects, frogs) and small fish. Dietary range increases as size increases and larger adults consume all aquatic and terrestrial prey (fish, turtles, small mammals, birds, reptiles including small alligators). May also scavenge. Feeding activity related to temperature, decreasing at temperatures below 20 to 23°C. Ectothermic. Home range size of adult males is 2000 acres (Ref. 80292).

Main Ref.

Britton, A., 2002

Remarks

Can tolerate saline waters for short periods of time. Construct burrows used for shelter and hibernation at low temperatures. Construct alligator holes for refuge during dry periods. May cross land when alligator holes dry out to find another body of water. Opportunistic feeders. Juveniles feed on small invertebrates (insects, frogs) and small fish. Dietary range increases as size increases and larger adults consume all aquatic and terrestrial prey (fish, turtles, small mammals, birds, reptiles including small alligators). May also scavenge. Feeding activity related to temperature, decreasing at temperatures below 20 to 23°C. Ectothermic. Home range size of adult males is 2000 acres (Ref. 80292).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Alligator mississippiensis may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: demersal; Soft Bottom
Substrate Ref.	Britton, A., 2002
Special habitats	Other habitats: burrows;
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Britton, A., 2002
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Britton, A., 2002

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition	4.35	0.71	4.22	0.64	Troph of adults.
From individual food items	4.22	0.87			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.	Rice, A.N, 2004

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