Alligator Habitat in the Everglades

American Alligator habitat can be found from as far north as North Carolina all the way south to the Florida Everglades and west to the southern tip of Texas.

Although the alligator prefers freshwater, it can be found for short periods of time in more brackish water where the salt water of the Florida Bay and the fresh water of the Everglades meet.

This makes the Florida Everglades and Everglades National Park the perfect alligator habitat.

Along with the American “gators”, the everglades are also home to the American Crocodile. The crocodile prefers the salt and brackish waters of the Florida Bay.

You will certainly see more alligators in the glades because their habitat and range is much larger than that of the crocodile.

Personally, all of the everglades crocodiles I have seen have been inside the National Park towards Flamingo, along the edges of the Florida Bay, and the Crocodile Lake area.

Unlike the American Crocodile, the alligator is less likely to suffer from cooler temperatures. This may be the reason why their range extends further north than that of the crocodile.

Both the alligator and the crocodile depend on the wetlands, swamps, and marshes for their survival. This is why the quality of fresh water flowing into the glades is so important. It is the lifeblood of all that call it home.

From the mosquito larvae at the bottom of the food chain to the alligator at the top of the food chain, and from the floating periphyton to the mahogany trees in the hardwood hammocks, they all depend on the water.

Alligator Habitat Shared With the Burmese and Rock Python

The alligator has always been at the top of the Everglades food chain, until now. Now it competes for survival and food with the Burmese and Rock Pythons. Pythons are “exotic” to the glades and have been introduced by man. The Burmese python has spread through out the everglades and it's estimated their numbers are in the “hundreds of thousands”. The Rock python (a much more aggressive species) presently occupies a more condensed area west of Miami and on the eastern edge of the glades, but the Rock Python is also spreading and expanding it's range. Unfortunately, the everglades is also the perfect environment for pythons.

Competing at the top of the food chain, the alligator controls the population of smaller wildlife in the everglades which keep the wetlands in balance.

You will have the opportunity to see the alligator anywhere in the park, but places like Anhinga Trail, Loop Road and Shark Valley are perfect for viewing wildlife.

I don't remember ever walking the Anhinga Trail without spotting at least a few gators, turtles, and a variety of birds!