Alligator Records and Lifespans: teacher key

American Alligators, grade 8 edition, written for 8th grade. Read about Florida's record alligators, how long alligators live, how they sense the water and where they live.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. As of November 2026, what is the longest recorded life of a captive alligator?
   • 73.1 years (answer)
   • 56 years
   • 20 years
2. From which Florida county is the record alligator for weight?
   • Brevard County
   • Orange County
   • Alachua County (answer)
3. What is more sensitive than a person's fingertips?
   • The spots on its jaws (answer)
   • Its claws
   • Its tail
4. About how many teeth does an alligator have at one time?
   • About 80 (answer)
   • About 8
   • About 3,000
5. What does captive mean here?
   • Very large
   • Swimming fast
   • Kept in care (answer)
6. Which crocodilian has the northernmost range in the world?
   • The Chinese alligator
   • The American alligator (answer)
   • The gharial

Words

• crocodilians: alligators and kin
• nostrils: nose openings
• species: kind of animal
• hatchlings: newly hatched young
• captive: kept in care