American Alligator

Description:

Juvenile alligator spotted in a culvert at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Notes:

The American alligator has a large, slightly rounded body, with thick limbs, a broad head, and a very powerful tail. Adult Alligators generally have a green, olive, brown, gray or nearly black color with a creamy white underside. Algae-laden waters produce greener skin, while tannic acid from overhanging trees can often produce darker skin. Juvenile alligators have a striped pattern for camouflage that they lose as they mature.