Notes on the Reproductive Biology and Captive Propagation of the American Alligator

Wild captured adult alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) over a 4 1/2 year period exhibited a nesting rate of 50 percent. Clutch size averaged 39.5 eggs per nest. Fertility rates averaged 75.4 percent. Successful stocking rates ofone male to four females were achieved in a one-half acre enclosure. Pen construction methods and maintenance techniques were implemented to simulate natural marsh conditions, thereby encouraging breeding and contributing to the health of the alligators. Diseases posed no problem during the investigation although fighting and escapes were major concerns during the early phases of the study.