05/29/2026
Happy National Alligator Day! 🐊✨
Did you know that the American alligator, like Guinness here, is a conservation success story?
American alligators are the largest reptile in North America, and one of only two alligator species in the world! The other is the smaller Chinese alligator. They can grow up to 14 feet long and can weigh over 400 pounds.
Alligators are very territorial and become more solitary the larger they get. While they are only capable of small bursts of movement on land, they are incredibly agile in the water.
In 1967, American alligators faced serious threats from hunting and were considered Endangered. For the next twenty years, serious conservation efforts were put in place to protect these huge reptiles. Hunting was regulated and decreased, and populations boomed.
By 1987, American Alligators were taken off of the Endangered Species List. Today, they are considered to be a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Today, the biggest threats they face are in their interactions with humans. As parts of the wetlands they call home are developed, alligators are pushed closer to human beings. This can encourage alligators to interact with humans, who often feed alligators.
Still, despite these threats, their population remains stable. Conservation success stories like this remind us to never give up hope that even the most endangered species can be brought back from the brink of extinction!
Just by visiting the Sacramento Zoo, you support conservation work around the globe, including the Rafeal Crespo Conservation Fund! This fund is in memory of Rafeal Crespo, a prominent crocodilian conservationist, which funds the futures of conservationists every year.
