Refuge provides update on wildlife
REFUGE/DDWS
Of the two recognized species of alligators globally, the American alligator is the only to reside in Florida. But thousands of years ago, more than two types of gators hunted through global waters. Alligators first appeared in the fossil record during the Eocene era, about 37 million years ago. It is estimated that seven species of alligator have gone extinct in the time since. The other extant — living — species, the Chinese alligator, is estimated to have split from the American alligator about 33 million years ago. Chinese alligators are smaller, measuring an average of 5 feet, and are critically endangered. Less than a few hundred remain in the wild.