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Alligator Gar

Atractosteus spatula

Fish · family Lepisosteidae · order Lepisosteiformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G3: vulnerable[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Alligator Gar
Photo: Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G3 Vulnerable[2]
Native in
12 states[3]
Typical length
120 in[4]

The Alligator Gar is a large fish in the gar family, Lepisosteidae[5]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe lists it as native in 12 states across the South and the Mississippi basin[3].

Conservation status

NatureServe ranks the Alligator Gar as Vulnerable both worldwide (G3)[2] and across the United States (N3)[6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA[1], but that does not mean it is free of risk. Its rank also differs from state to state, as the table on this page shows[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G3 (Vulnerable)
NatureServe US rank[6] N3 (Vulnerable)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[9] 10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Where Alligator Gar lives

NatureServe lists the Alligator Gar as native in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas[3]. It is ranked as gone or possibly gone from Indiana[10]. Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma have the most observation records on GBIF, which reflects where people look and report rather than how many fish live there[11].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: native, state rank SUILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXINOhio: native, state rank S1OHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: native, state rank S1MOKentucky: native, state rank S1KYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: native, state rank S2ARTennessee: native, state rank S1TNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: native, state rank S1OKLouisiana: native, state rank S5LAMississippi: native, state rank S2MSAlabama: native, state rank S2ALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S4TXFlorida: native, state rank S2FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[8].
Show state ranks (13 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS2Imperiled
ArkansasS2Imperiled
FloridaS2Imperiled
IllinoisSUUnrankable
IndianaSXPresumed Extirpated
KentuckyS1Critically Imperiled
LouisianaS5Secure
MississippiS2Imperiled
MissouriS1Critically Imperiled
OhioS1Critically Imperiled
OklahomaS1Critically Imperiled
TennesseeS1Critically Imperiled
TexasS4Apparently Secure

Habitat

This fish lives in big and medium rivers with slow, low gradient flow, in forested wetlands, in shallow water and where rivers meet the tide[12]. It favors calm, slow pools of large rivers along with their side channels, swamps and backwaters, and only now and then turns up in salty coastal water[13]. It spawns, which means it breeds, over plants in warm, shallow water, and the young may drift near the surface among floating twigs and leaves[13].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[12]

Size and diet

The Alligator Gar feeds mainly on other fish and on crabs, and sometimes takes other small animals with backbones[14]. NatureServe describes adults as fish eaters and eaters of invertebrates, which are animals without backbones[15]. Its typical length is 305 cm (120 in)[4]. NatureServe estimates the total adult population worldwide at 10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals[9].

Trait Value
Typical length[4] 305 cm (120 in)
Food habits[15] Piscivore, Invertivore

When to look for it

On GBIF, people in the United States report this fish most often in April, May and October[16]. These counts show when people look and report, not how many fish are around[16].

January: 130 recordsJanFebruary: 170 recordsFebMarch: 297 recordsMarApril: 1,256 recordsAprMay: 1,358 recordsMayJune: 707 recordsJunJuly: 237 recordsJulAugust: 228 recordsAugSeptember: 707 recordsSepOctober: 1,018 recordsOctNovember: 689 recordsNovDecember: 162 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[16].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January130
February170
March297
April1,256
May1,358
June707
July237
August228
September707
October1,018
November689
December162

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma[11]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Alligator Gar endangered?
It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it as Vulnerable worldwide (G3)[2] and in the United States (N3)[6].
Where does the Alligator Gar live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 12 states, including Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Florida[3]. It is ranked as gone or possibly gone from Indiana[10].
What does the Alligator Gar eat?
It eats mostly fish and crabs, and sometimes other small animals with backbones[14].
How big does the Alligator Gar get?
NatureServe records a typical length of 305 cm (120 in)[4].
When are Alligator Gar most often reported?
GBIF records in the United States peak in April, May and October[16]. This reflects when people look and report, not how many fish there are[16].

Facts and sources

  1. Alligator Gar is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Alligator Gar: G3 (Vulnerable). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Alligator Gar as native in 12 US states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 305 cm (120 in). NatureServe Explorer
  5. Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a fish in the family Lepisosteidae, order Lepisosteiformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N3 (Vulnerable). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. NatureServe state ranks for Alligator Gar (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe ranks Alligator Gar as extirpated or possibly extirpated (SX or SH) in: Indiana. NatureServe Explorer
  11. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Alligator Gar: Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  12. Habitat types NatureServe records for Alligator Gar: Forested wetland, Big river, Medium river, Low gradient, Shallow water, River mouth/tidal river. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on habitat for Alligator Gar. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on food for Alligator Gar. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Piscivore, Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  16. GBIF observation records of Alligator Gar in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.