Are there alligators in Louisiana?
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
Yes.
LDWF says Louisiana's wild alligator population has grown to more than 3 million.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries: “Louisiana’s wild alligator population has increased from less than 100,000 to more than 3 million in the past 50 years.” Source
Where the American alligator lives in the US
- Native or listed
- Nonnative or not established
- No official record in our data
- 1–9
- 10–99
- 100–999
- 1,000+
What else it could be
Photo: Dennis Vollmar · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist American crocodile
Crocodile: lighter grayish-green skin, narrow tapered triangular snout, fourth lower tooth visible with the mouth closed, and mostly coastal brackish or salt water in south Florida. Alligator: darker, broad rounded snout, mostly fresh water.
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized Spectacled caiman
USGS: the common (spectacled) caiman's snout is not as broad and round as the American alligator's, and unlike the alligator it has a unique bony ridge in front of and between the eyes.
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What official sources advise
- Alligators: do not attempt to move an alligator found in a roadway, yard or other unexpected place. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
- Alligators: do not feed them. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
- Alligators: view from at least 50 feet. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
- Alligators: avoid swimming at night, dusk or dawn. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
- Alligators move to breed or find new habitat in spring and summer. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
- Alligators: nesting females may defend nests in summer. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Other questions about Louisiana
Sources
- Alligator. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Louisiana’s wild alligator population has increased from less than 100,000 to more than 3 million in the past 50 years.”
- Nuisance Alligators. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (6)
“If you see an alligator in a roadway, yard, or other unexpected place, DO NOT attempt to move it. It is dangerous and illegal for the general public to handle or possess alligators.”
“Don’t feed or entice alligators. Alligators overcome their natural shyness and become accustomed or attracted to humans when fed.”
“View and photograph wild alligators from a safe distance of at least 50 feet.”
“Don’t swim at night or during dusk or dawn when alligators most actively feed.”
“In spring and summer, alligators move to breed or find new habitat.”
“During the summer, some nesting females won’t retreat and will attempt to protect their nest.”