Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
American Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, February 27, 2018
1. American Alligator Marker
Cypress Island Preserve supports many alligators, including in some of the largest in Louisiana. While visiting the preserve between March and October, you may see alligators up to 10-15 feet long along the western edge of Lake Martin. Alligators feed on a wide variety of animals, such as fish, birds, turtles, frogs, snakes, and nutria.
Courtship and mating occur in April and May. Nest building and egg laying occur from late May through early July. About 40 eggs are laid in a large nest made from vegetation and mud. Heat from the rotting vegetation incubates the eggs. In August and September, the young hatch and seek cover along the water's edge. Baby alligators are about 9 inches long and are protected by the mother through the first winter. The alligator is one of the few reptile species that cares for its young.
Erected by The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Entertainment.
Location. 30° 12.196′ N, 91° 53.978′ W. Marker is in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, in St. Martin Parish. It is on Rookery
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Louisiana’s Acadiana Cajun Country and specifically in Bayou Country. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, Acadia, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Wetlands (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lake Martin (about 400 feet away); The Pellerin-Chauffe House (approx. 3.9 miles away); Welcome to Parks (approx. 4.3 miles away); Breaux Bridge / Pont-Breaux (approx. 4.8 miles away); The Valery Thibodeaux House
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, February 27, 2018
2. American Alligator Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 1, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 388 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 1, 2018.
