There are only two countries in the world where alligators live: the United States of America and China. The Chinese alligator is endangered and lives only in the valley of the Yangtze River. The American alligator lives on the east coast of the USA from North Carolina to Texas. Most American alligators live in the states of Florida and Louisiana. Only in Florida, their number exceeds 1 million individuals. The only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles coexist together is Florida.
Large males lead a solitary lifestyle, adhering to their territory. Smaller males can be seen in large groups in close proximity to each other. Large individuals (both males and females) protect their territory, small alligators are more tolerant towards individuals of the same size.
Despite its fairly large weight and slow metabolism, in water at short distances they can develop a high speed – over 30 km / h.
Alligators eat almost everything that they are able to catch. Young individuals prey on fish, insects, snails and crustaceans. As they grow, the Mississippi alligators choose a larger victim: a large fish, such as armored pike; Turtles, small mammals, birds and other reptiles, while Chinese alligators, due to their small size, still consume a large number of very small animals. In the stomachs of alligators are often found and foreign bodies. If the alligators are hungry enough, they can eat and eat carrion. Adult Mississippi alligators sometimes can hunt deer, wild pigs or even younger alligators, although they are much worse than most real crocodiles and black caimans are adapted to capture large prey.
