Extinct Animal : American Alligator

This reptile of the coastal marshes and inland waters of the southeastern United States is considered an endangered species. Relentless hunting for hides reduced the numbers drastically in the 1960s until state and federal laws provided for complete legal protection. In addition, there are now import and export restrictions controlling trade in alligators and their skins.

Although poaching and illegal trade are always a threat, the American alligator is recovering in the wild. There are also thousands of them in zoos where they breed successfully.