The scientific name of the American alligator is Alligator mississippiensis. The Chinese alligator is the only other alligator in the alligator family, and its scientific name is alligator sinensis. The American alligator is in the kingdom Animalia because it is an animal. The phylum is chordate because it has vertebrae. The American alligator belongs to the reptile class because it is cold-blooded, lays shelled eggs, has scaly skin and breathes air. Alligators belong to the crocodile order because they are large animals that appeared during the Cambrian phase. The American alligator falls under the idea of ​​the alligator family because it has a larger, broader snout and can withstand colder temperatures. The genus is alligator and the species is Mississippiensis (Florida natura, 2006). American alligators have many physical characteristics. Their sizes range from six to twelve feet. An adult male can weigh up to twelve hundred pounds. The American alligator has a long, round snout with nostrils at the end. An alligator has two eyes towards the top of its head. Alligators also have a long, thin body that has four legs and a long tail (EDIS, 2009) The American alligator lives in humid areas of the southeastern United States, from North Carolina to Texas. Wetlands are areas of standing water such as bogs, swamps, ponds and marshes. Alligators live primarily in freshwater wetlands, but sometimes live in brackish water. Brackish water is water that contains more saline or salt water than fresh water. Alligators cannot live in salt water because they do not have an effective salt gland. American alligators live in temperate climates with cold winters and warm summers. The average temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit per year and 40 to 60 inches of rain... middle of paper... and food. Their skin is used to produce high-quality leather. In the 1950s, American alligators were seriously endangered because humans had begun hunting them. Then, in 1967, the Endangered Species Conservation Act stopped alligator hunting, and alligator numbers rapidly increased. Now there are millions of alligators and people can hunt them again. Alligators are losing their habitat as wetlands are filled in to create land for homes, farms and industries. Alligators are very dangerous animals for humans. Alligator attacks occur about seven times a year, but few are fatal. When people feed them, alligators learn not to be afraid of humans. This causes more alligator attacks and the alligators to become more aggressive towards humans. Ninety percent of all alligator attacks are caused by people feeding alligators. (Languidly,2005)