# Where Do American Alligators Live?

> Where american alligators live: Freshwater swamps, rivers, and marshes, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Least Concern.

- **Species:** American Alligator (*Alligator mississippiensis*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore
- **Habitat:** Freshwater swamps, rivers, and marshes
- **Lifespan:** 35–50 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 32 km/h (20 mph) in short bursts
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/american-alligator/where-do-american-alligator-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/american-alligator/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The American alligator is a large reptile native to the freshwater wetlands of the southeastern United States and a celebrated conservation success story after near-extinction. Males can grow over 4 m (13 ft) long, have one of the strongest bite forces ever measured, and may live 35 to 50 years. Unlike crocodiles, alligators have a broad, rounded snout.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## Built for ambush

Alligators are ambush predators that lie almost completely submerged, with only their eyes and nostrils above the water, then explode forward to seize prey. Their jaws snap shut with enormous force, though the muscles that open the mouth are weak enough for a person to hold shut by hand.

## Help protect the American Alligator

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

---
Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/american-alligator/where-do-american-alligator-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.