It is illegal to feed … Alligators use their tails to dig burrows in mud for nesting and to keep warm. Education and awareness is the best long-term way to avoid future incidents. Consequently, the prey population can explode. June 17, 2016 at 6:00 AM EDT. Alligators live in the wetlands of the southern United States. there would be no salt water crocodile the would only be salt water alligator. The American alligator joined the Endangered Species List in 1967, leading to reduced alligator hunting in the southern United States. We saved the alligators from extinction — then moved into their territory ... writer. American Alligators were once on the endangered species list. Through a number of different conservation efforts, the American alligator thrives once again today. American Alligators were once on the endangered species list. Can a canadian buy an american … Alligators are restricted to the Coastal Plain, which includes the Central Savannah River Area of Georgia and South Carolina. Today, more than one million alligators can be found throughout Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. When a predatory species becomes threatened or extinct, this removes a check and balance in the food chain on the population of prey previously consumed by that predator. What could happen to an ecosystem if american alligators go extinct? Today, more than one million alligators can be found throughout Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. Why It Matters When Species Go Extinct Animal extinction can effect entire ecosystems and in turn the world. Is the alligator extinct? The American alligator was itself threatened at one time by unrestricted harvesting, but Dr. Vliet said there are now one million to two million American alligators. If alligators and crocs went extinct, the world would have been a better place. Answer. American Alligator. Post to Twitter . If Apes Go Extinct, So Could Entire Forests. If alligators are removed from their native ecosystem, it would affect countless other species. Post to Facebook . Wiki User April 27, 2010 2:35PM. By Jenna Bardroff. What would happen if an alligator became extinct in the ecosystem in wetlands . After they were listed under the Endangered Species Act, hunting was prohibited and their habitat was protected. The species has made a dramatic recovery and was removed from the endangered species list in 1987. What’s your favorite predator, either existing or extinct? Warning: Gross oversimplification coming through…. There are many still alive. If the gator went extinct ,it would take away the top predator in the everglades and would allow the prey animals numbers to explode to dangerous levels, throwing the ecosystem into chaos.