ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida has more than 1 million alligators and several laws to protect them.
Protection:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service down-listed the American alligator from Endangered to Threatened in 1977, and in 1987, alligators were reclassified to Similarity of Appearance to a Threatened taxon, which is their current classification.
The purpose of the designation is to provide safeguards to other protected crocodilians, such as the American crocodile, by regulating the management of alligators and the legal trade in alligator products.