How long an alligator lives can vary upon the species and usually their environment plays a factor in the alligator’s age as well. Generally it is common for most alligators to live anywhere from 0-50 years. However, there have been alligators that have been recorded throughout history to live for much longer than that. One alligator was even recorded to reach the age of 103.
Alligators that live in captivity’s ages may vary. An important aspect of caring for a reptiles such as an alligator is to give serious consideration as to how long you will have to be responsible for it. A large alligator cannot be readily sold or given away, and although it may seem cool to own an alligator when you are younger, it may become more difficult to accommodate adequately 20 or 30 years from now when you are older.
As a general rule, the expected lifespan of American Alligators is about 50 years as mentioned above. It is around this time when they will often begin losing their teeth and showing signs of senility. The longest lived captive alligator on record died at 66 years at the Adelaide Zoo located in Australia in September of 1978. It is not uncommon for alligators to live for hundreds of years in nature.
Leave a Reply