An American alligator treads through Everglades National Park in Florida on October 10, 1995.
American alligators are found in the southeastern U.S. with over a million American alligators inhabiting Florida and Louisiana. Southern Florida is the only place where both alligators and crocodiles live side by side. 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. USDA photo by Larry Rana.
. Original public domain image from Flickr