American Alligator For years, I have heard many reports of a solitary alligator living around the Convention Center on South Padre Island. So many people have seen this animal it has become a bit of a local celebrity.   Hunted mostly for their hides, used as leather goods, the American alligator was listed as endangered in 1967.  By 1987, the American alligator had made a complete recovery and was removed from the endangered species list.  Current numbers today are estimated at well over a million, inhabiting areas of Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Georgia. The American Alligator is still federally listed as threatened because of its similarities to the American Crocodile, a species close to extinction. Although they are often confused, there are some basic differences between alligators and crocodiles.  Alligators have short, blunt, rounded snouts and when their mouths are closed, their teeth are not visible.  Adults are dark in color: grayish black.  Crocodiles are lighter in color: tan or brown.  Their teeth show on the outside when their mouths are closed.  Feeding at night, they eat fish, turtles, birds, and even and occasional land mammal. They are found in coastal regions but are also known to have adapted somewhat further inland.  (I hear about alligators frequenting Bay View, a lovely area of land, with a meandering river-like body of water, the Resaca, located approximately 20 miles to the west and slightly northwest of South Padre Island). American alligators are the largest reptiles in North America with lengths of 6-8 feet.  Rare specimens have measured up to 13 feet. In the wild they can live up to 50 years, while in captivity 60 to 70 years is not uncommon. It's hard to imagine alligator courtship, but it begins in the spring, with mating taking place in early summer.  Laying literally dozens of hard-shelled eggs into a constructed nest of rotting vegetation, for 65 days the female keeps a watchful eye on her future offspring. During incubation, if temperatures in the nest fall below 84.2 degrees Fahrenheit, all births are female reptiles.  If temperatures rise above 93 degrees Fahrenheit, males R-Us!   Temperatures between produce both sexes. And believe this or not, after their “coming out party” Mom, will oversee her “pod” for the next 2 years or more! In spite of the female's watchful eye, approximately eighty percent of young alligators fall victim to predators. After reaching maturity at 6 years of age, they favor a solitary life, males and females, alike. Although I heard a rumor in 2005 that the infamous alligator at the Convention Center had become a proud Mom, those who are in a position to know, say it is not so. For now, there appears to be only one lone American alligator residing there.  Is it male or female? We just don't know.