Alligator Quiz

How Much Do You Know About Alligators?

Alligators are true survivors. Not only have they survived through millions of years, but they have managed to survive man's onslaught as well. In 1967, the alligator was listed as an endangered species (under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973), meaning it was considered in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. The Endangered Species Act prohibited alligator hunting, allowing the species to rebound in numbers in many areas where it had been depleted. Alligators were downlisted from endangered to threatened in 1977, and in 1987, the American alligator was reclassified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened.

To take the quiz, read the question and then place your mouse cursor over what you think is the correct answer and we'll tell you right away if you are right.

Question #1:

The name alligator comes from the Spanish words el lagarto which means "the lizard." The name was used by early Spanish explorers.

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Question #2:

The first alligator hunters were Seminole Indians who didn't have guns to kill their prey. They were very efficient at making use of every part of the body.

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Question #3:

Alligators can be found primarily in manmade wetlands and swamps, including canals, swimming pools, and ponds on golf courses.

TrueFalse. Alligators are at home in natural wetlands and swamps - as far away from humans as possible.

FalseYou picked the right answer! Try another one.

Question #4:

Baby alligators grow about three inches per month in the wild. It takes a hatchling four to five years to become a five-foot-long adult alligator.

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Question #5:

Alligators live in salt-free and pollution-free water. They eat mostly fish and small animals, though they will eat nutria or deer if they come to the water.

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Question #6:

American alligators are sluggish and slow. They don't move very fast.

TrueFalse. Alligators have been clocked swimming as fast as 25 mph.

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Question #7:

The American alligator likes to move around a lot. It meanders from swamp to swamp, and shares territories with other alligators.

TrueFalse. The American alligator is territorial. It needs its own space because it requires a lot of food. It always goes back to its area after mating.

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Question #8:

The American alligator is camouflaged. It's a greenish brown color to blend in with the swamp water in which it lives.

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Question #9:

Between 1938 and 1958, Louisiana lost 90 percent of its alligators due to hunting by men.

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Question #10:

The alligator became endangered when humans started draining the swamps in the southeastern states. But the real trouble started when alligator skin products went on the market. Between 1930 and 1940 1 million alligators were killed in Florida alone.

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Question #11:

The American alligator has many predators in the wild.

TrueFalse. Alligators have only one predator - man.

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Question #12:

In 1941, Alabama became the first state to protect alligators. It had almost no alligators left within its boundaries due to over-hunting.

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Question #13:

Today there are more than one million alligators in Louisiana alone, though many can be found on alligator farms. Farmed alligators are harvested for their meat, but also for their skins, which are used for shoes, purses and belts.

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Question #14:

Alligators dramatically affect the appearance of the landscape. They dig gator holes, which support a whole community of other creatures and plants. By building up the land around the gator holes, they create new places for plants to grow. They also help control populations of many nuisance animals.

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If you are a teacher and would like a hard copy or you had trouble taking the quiz online, we have provided a PDF file for download here.

The Delta Chapter is 3,000 of your neighbors supporting the work of the Sierra Club in Louisiana. We advance the cause of protecting Louisiana's environment in a variety of ways, including lobbying the state legislature in Baton Rouge, sponsoring a Mercury Public Education Campaign, raising public awareness about climate change, and working to keep the Atchafalaya Basin, America's greatest river swamp, wet and wild. In addition, we encourage our members to get outside and enjoy our beautiful planet.

The Sierra Club's members and supporters are more than 1.3 million of your friends and neighbors. Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our communities and the planet. The Club is America's oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization.

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