Do alligators serve a purpose?

Alligators play an important role in maintaining ecosystem balance. Sitting at the top of the food chain, alligators are apex predators and help keep other animal populations in balance. By digging holes and leaving trails throughout marshes, they create habitats for fish and marine invertebrates.

Why are alligators important to Florida?

Alligator holes typically retain water throughout the winter dry season and serve as a refuge for a variety of wildlife. Alligators are an important part of the Everglades ecosystem and are considered a keystone species of the park.

What problems do alligators cause?

Once hunted intensively for their hides, today, loss of habitat to human development, illegal killing and roadkill are the greatest threats faced by alligators and crocodiles. As sea level rises due to climate change, a significant portion of freshwater habitats may face saltwater incursion or inundation.

What animals eat alligators?

Newly hatched alligators live in small groups, called “pods.” Some 80 percent of young alligators fall victim to predators such as birds, raccoons, bobcats, otters, snakes, large bass and larger alligators.

Will alligators go extinct?

Alligators are no longer considered endangered. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 prohibited alligator hunting, allowing the species to rebound in many areas where it had been depleted. The U.S. government took measures to protect and preserve the alligator population.

Will crocodiles and alligators go extinct?

It may be that a few species of crocodile and alligator might go extinct, but the overall order/family will be fine. Note: when i say ‘crocodiles’, it usually applies to alligators as well. Firstly, crocodiles can eat almost any meat, and can also eat heavily decayed meat.

Why are alligators an endangered species?

Dwindling populations of alligators were the result of hunting and loss of habitat, and the American alligator was listed as an endangered species in 1967 under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The number of alligators began to rebound when alligator farms opened and hunting was outlawed,…

Why are there so many alligators in Florida?

The number of alligators began to rebound when alligator farms opened and hunting was outlawed, easing the pressure on wild populations. However, even after hunting was prohibited in Florida, illegal poaching continued into the 1970s because the belly skin of alligators produces high-quality leather.

How common are human conflicts with alligators?

Human conflicts with alligators are rare and generally not serious, but incidents do occur and have been reported. Education and awareness is the best long-term way to avoid future incidents. Most alligator attacks on humans are attributed to the illegal feeding of alligators, which makes them bolder,…