King of the Everglades

Florida's most famous animal certainly is the Alligator. I think this magnificent reptile deserves its own post.

The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is endemic to the southeastern United States. It inhabits wetlands on the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Florida, and in the Northern Gulf of Mexico west to Texas (Scott 2004). Alligators mostly inhabit marshes and swamps, but can also be found in rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.