The alligator gar is one monster of a freshwater fish. It looks similar to the fierce reptile it's named for, and even has a tough armor that's hard to penetrate. This creature floats along, seemingly harmless as a log, until a potential victim swims near. These huge, strong fish even overpower young alligators in their native southern swamps.
Super Snout: The alligator gar's long jaws each have two rows of needle-sharp teeth. These weapons can slice into thick hide and rip another creature to shreds.
Super Scales: An interlocking set of scales provides this fish with a strong suit of armor. Each scale is coated with a bone-like substance that most of the gar's enemies can't bite through.
From Zero to Sixty[]
Native Americans used the tough scales of alligator gars as spear points and arrowheads.
The alligator gar spends a lot of time floating near the water's surface, so other fish pay it little attention. When this beast spots prey, however, its powerful tail gives it the burst of speed it needs for a quick and deadly ambush. Even nimble ducks that swim too close are pulled beneath the water and end up in the alligator gar's stomach.
Air Breather: Lakes in the southern U.S. can evaporate during dry winters, which reduces the amount of water and oxygen available for fish to breathe through their gills. The alligator gar has a special bladder that can act as a "lung" so the fish can breathe air from just above the water's surface.
Sea Adventure: These gars are known to swim into shallow parts of the ocean. In these areas, the fish rake their teeth through the mud and crunch up crabs and lobsters buried there.
Gar Vs. Gator[]
- Alligators and alligator gars both wait in ambush for prey by floating near the surface of the water, but a young gator that crosses paths with a large gar can be in trouble. In a flash, the alligator gar opens its wide jaws to attack the reptile.
- The gar's quick action leaves the reptile with no chance to escape or defend itself. The fish's thin, sharp teeth slice through the gator's thick hide, and the gar rips its victim in two with a few thrashes of its long snout.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The image on the back-left of the card is also used in the Wildlife Explorer series.
- The alligator gar is featured in Big Fish on Monster Mania 39.
- Of the 7 species of gar, the Alligator Gar is the biggest. As well as being North America's second biggest freshwater fish, only the White Sturgeon is bigger.