Subject: American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis

Location: Everglades National Park, Florida

Stock Number: MAD-04

Comments: This creature is the largest reptile found in North America, measuring up to sixteen feet in length and weighing up to 500 pounds. It's a far cry from your typical Fence Lizard.

The real peak experience for those who want to view or photograph Alligators is a visit to Everglades National Park. For one thing, there are so many gators. You can see young ones and old battle-scarred veterans. You can watch them swimming, floating, dozing, and yawning. The background is some really beautiful scenery.

It's hard to believe this species was in crisis in the 1960s, and won a well-deserved place on the endangered species list. The species recovered and was de-listed in 1987. Today one million Alligators ply the waterways of Florida alone, with large populations in other Southern states as well.