Are Alligators a Keystone Species?

It is true that alligators are a keystone species. A keystone species is a species that has a certain behavior that benefits other species and environments in their natural habitats. Without this keystone behavior, the environment and all of the species in the area would be at a loss.

It is for this reason that American Alligators have earned the distinguished title of “Keeper of the Glades”. As a keystone species, alligators are known to use their powerful feet, tails, and snout to dig holes through thick muck. These holes then become small ponds (referred to as “alligator holes”) that may span 20 feet or more. During times of drought, aquatic animals such as fish, turtles, etc. live in these holes. These holes also provide a source of water for terrestrial animals and plants.

A web of life exists within these alligator holes. For example, Algae and other tiny organisms such as Periphyton, grow and are eaten here by aquatic insect larvae, tadpoles, small fish, etc. These animals are then eaten by larger fish and frogs. Those animals are then eaten by even bigger fish, birds, turtles and smaller mammals, gators as well, etc. It’s a chain reaction, a food chain.

These alligator holes also often support a lush plant growth from the rotting plants that are within the mud. If enough time has passed, these holes can even be found located in the center of an island of trees. When the rain returns and the drought is over, the life that has been preserved thanks to the gator hole become the beginning of repopulation in the marshlands. As this occurs, the alligator holes often expand along with it.