Alligator
An American alligator in captivity at the Columbus Zoo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Crocodilia
Family:	Alligatoridae
Genus:	Alligator Daudin, 1809
Species
Alligator mississippiensis Alligator sinensis

Alligator is a genus in the order Crocodilia. There are two living species: the American alligator and the smaller Chinese alligator. Together with the caimans, the gharials, and the crocodiles, they make up the order Crocodilia.

The first alligators existed about 37 million years ago. However, older species of alligators have become extinct.