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American alligators grow about a foot a year until they’re close to five years old, then growth slows down.

An 8’ gator can be around 10 years old, but a 10-12’ gator, as shown in the photo, might be 20 or more years old.

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is the northernmost breeding region for alligators in the United States. They grow more slowly and rarely reach the huge size that they can attain in Florida and warmer climates.

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