Albino American Alligator
Scientific Name
Alligator mississippiensis
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Not currently at risk.
Diet
Fish, turtles, frogs, birds, mammals, and other aquatic animals
Habitat in the Wild
Freshwater wetlands, swamps, marshes, rivers, and lakes
Quick Fact
They are a keystone species that shapes the environment, controls prey populations and helps maintain ecosystem balance.
Rare & Wonderful
Elsa is on exhibit in the Clayton Family Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Campus (ARC), sponsored in part by Dippin’ Dots and Publix Charities, for a limited engagement.
She is an American alligator without the camouflage. Born with a genetic mutation, she has albinism, meaning that her body cannot produce normal amounts of melanin, a pigment that colors skin, hair, and eyes and protects us from the sun. This condition results in her white skin and pink eyes and means that she can get sunburned easily.
At 18 years old, Elsa is 7+ feet long and weighs just over 115 lbs. Elsa hatched in Louisiana from a clutch of eggs that were harvested from the wild. When she is not visiting Zoos, like Zoo Knoxville, she lives at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in Florida.
CONSERVATION FACT #1
From Protected to Stable
Meet Our Albino American Alligator
NAME
AGE
BIRTHDAY
August 1, 2008
PERSONALITY
She's feisty!
what can you do?
Actions You Can Take To Support American Alligators
Give Them Space
If you see an alligator in the wild, do not approach them or feed them.
Keep Their Habitat Clean
Limit your use of pesticides and fertilizers which are often toxic and can get into waterways and habitats.