Animal Facts: Alligators

Did you know that there are only two species of alligators in the world? The American alligator and the Chinese alligator. Alligators first came into existence during the Oligocene period, about 37 millions years ago.

The word "alligator" is a form of the Spanish term "el lagarto" which means lizard. Early Spanish explorers first termed alligators this while settling in Florida. They must have thought those were some big lizards, seeing as how large adult alligators can weigh between 800 to 1,000 pounds and measure from 13 to 14.5 feet long!