Alligator

Description:

This was a a large alligator. Its light colored "juvenile" stripes were gone, so it is safe to assume this was an adult. He barely moved while our air boat went past him.

Habitat:

Per Wikipedia: American alligators live in freshwater environments, such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and swamps, as well as in brackish environments. When they construct gator holes in the wetlands, they increase plant diversity and also provide habitat for other animals during drought periods. They are therefore considered an important species for maintaining ecological diversity in wetlands. Further west, in Louisiana, heavy grazing by nutria and muskrat are causing severe damage to coastal wetlands. Large alligators feed extensively on nutria, and provide a vital ecological service by reducing nutria numbers.

Notes:

This was the largest alligator we saw outside captivity during our trip he was about six feet long. I was told that's not very large for this species.