AnAge entry for Alligator mississippiensis
Classification (HAGRID: 03244)
- Taxonomy
-
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia (Taxon entry)
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Alligatoridae
Genus: Alligator
- Species
- Alligator mississippiensis
- Common name
- American alligator
- Synonyms
- Alligator mississipiensis, Crocodilus mississipiensis
Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits
- Maximum longevity
- 77 years (captivity)
- Source
- ref. 1298
- Sample size
- Large
- Data quality
- High
- Observations
These are long-lived animals that appear to show indeterminate growth. In captivity, they can reach sexual maturity at 6 years of age. Several captive American alligators over the age of 70 have been reported [1298]. In the wild, food availability influences growth and sexual maturation with food scarcity being linked to a slower growth and a delayed maturity [0586]. A decline in egg production in females over 30 years of age has been reported [0527]. A specimen called "Saturn", who survived in Berlin during World War Two, died in Moscow Zoo in 2020 at an estimated age of 84, but this has not been confirmed.
Life history traits (averages)
- Female sexual maturity
- 4,380 days
- Male sexual maturity
- 4,380 days
- Adult weight
- 150,000 g
Metabolism
- Typical body temperature
- 295ºK or 22.2ºC or 71.9ºF
- Resting metabolic rate
- 0.1539 W
- Body mass
- 1079.0 g
- Metabolic rate per body mass
- 0.000143 W/g
References
- [1249] Nilsen et al. (2016), Global DNA methylation loss associated with mercury contamination and aging in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) (PubMed)
- [1298] Weigl (2014), Longevity of crocodilians in captivity
- [1142] Kohler et al. (2006), Comparative mortality levels among selected species of captive animals
- [0586] Lance (2003), Alligator physiology and life history: the importance of temperature (PubMed)
- [0037] Gillooly et al. (2001), Effects of size and temperature on metabolic rate (PubMed)
- [0019] Patnaik (1994), Ageing in reptiles (PubMed)
- [0527] Castanet (1994), Age estimation and longevity in reptiles (PubMed)
- [0485] Andrew Snider and J. Bowler (1992), Longevity of Reptiles and Amphibians in North American Collections, Second Edition
External Resources
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- ITIS 551771
- Animal Diversity Web
- ADW account
- Encyclopaedia of Life
- Search EOL
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Taxonomy ID 8496
- Entrez
- Search all databases
- Ageing Literature
- Search Google Scholar or Search PubMed
- Images
- Google Image search
- Internet
- Search Google