Are There Alligators in the Mississippi River?

The Mississippi River begins as a small stream trickling from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. It passes through or borders ten states before emptying into the Gulf of America in Louisiana. The river is over 2,300 miles long. Its watershed extends from the Allegheny Mountains in the eastern U.S. to the Rocky Mountains in the west. Hundreds of animals species call the continent’s largest river and its floodplain home, including fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. However, are there alligators in the Mississippi River? Read on to find out.

The Animals of the Mississippi River Basin

At least 260 fish species, or 25% of North America’s fish species, inhabit in the river. Channel catfish, carp, bass, bluegill, northern pike, and the biggest fish in the river, the Gulf sturgeon, are just a few of the species living in the Mississippi. Up to 40% of migratory waterfowl and 60% of North America’s migratory birds use the Mississippi River Basin and the river corridor during migration. Bald eagles, great blue herons, Canada geese, common ravens, and even tiny, ruby-throated hummingbirds rely on the Mississippi Flyway.

The bluffs and floodplains provide food and shelter to over 50 mammal species, such as otters, beavers, coyotes, deer, and muskrats, among others. Over 145 amphibian and reptile species also depend on the Mississippi River. American bullfrogs, gray treefrogs, Eastern hellbenders, tiger salamanders, and green anoles live along the riverbank. Reptiles, including alligator snapping turtles, painted turtles, cottonmouths, timber rattlesnakes, and Eastern copperheads, live in and along the river. The American alligator is also found in the Mississippi River.

Alligators in the Mississippi River

American alligators are found across the Southeast, including Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, and parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Alligators inhabit the Mississippi River from the Mississippi-Louisiana border north to Tennessee and Arkansas.

According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, there are up to 38,000 alligators in the state. Most of them are found in the Mississippi Delta region and in the areas along the Mississippi River. Many Louisiana alligators also inhabit the wetlands of the lower Mississippi River. In Tennessee, wildlife officials have confirmed alligators are expanding their range in the state and can be found along the Mississippi River near Memphis. Alligators can also be found along the river in the northeastern part of Arkansas. Population numbers for alligators living in the Mississippi River within Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas are currently unknown.

Why Do Alligators Live in the Mississippi?

Alligators live in a wide variety of freshwater habitats, including marshes, swamps, ponds, bayous, canals, lakes, streams, and rivers. They may also inhabit brackish water, such as the wetlands and estuaries of the Mississippi River Delta.

As ambush hunters, alligators are often found submerged in murky water that aids in camouflage. The Mississippi River has large amounts of sediment in the water, such as sand, silt, and clay, making it naturally murky. As mentioned above, the river system is home to a diverse array of wildlife, much of which is part of the alligator diet. So, it is no surprise that alligators find the Mississippi River and its delta to be ideal habitats.