Are there alligators in Texas?
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
Yes.
TPWD: the American alligator occurs in the eastern third of Texas, in or near water.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: “The American alligator is found throughout the southern U.S., including the eastern third of Texas.” 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
- Treat alligators with caution; they can move quickly on land and prey on pets. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Alligators are mostly inactive mid-October to early March; March to May is peak breeding and nesting. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Other questions about Texas
Sources
- TPWD Wildlife Fact Sheet: American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (3)
“The American alligator is found throughout the southern U.S., including the eastern third of Texas.”
“Alligators have been known to prey on pets and must be treated with caution. Alligators can be surprisingly quick on land and are capable of running quickly over short distances.”
“Alligators in Texas are mostly inactive from mid-October until early March. March through May is the alligator's peak time for breeding and nesting.”