Smiley (American Alligator; Alligator mississippiensis)

The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus ''Alligator'', within the family ''Alligatoridae''. It is larger than the other extant alligator species, the Chinese alligator.

The American alligator inhabits wetlands that frequently overlap with human-populated areas.