American Alligator (Wild Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is not only a symbol of the American southeast, but also of American conservation. Due to overhunting and habitat loss during the 1800’s through the mid 1900’s the species was listed as endangered in 1967. Then a mere 20 years later, in 1987, it was pronounced fully recovered. Although still hunted, regulations are now in place to protect the species from overharvesting, and alligator farms ensure that these animals can be utilized sustainably. The problem now seems to be, how do we humans learn to coexist with them? Alligators are thriving, and thanks in part to climate change are now expanding their range. Indeed, the American alligator happens to be the most cold tolerate of all crocodilians. I’ll let you know when they reach the Chesapeake Bay.

Picking a representative for my collection of this important species was no easy task. Countless fantastic alligator figures exist. While some species are easy to decide upon due to a lack of competition this is a species that requires some comparison shopping and research, if your intent is to only get one specimen per species. I was undergoing that process when I happened along the subject of today’s review, it was then that I immediately knew my shopping was done, I found what is for me the definitive American alligator and I’m excited to take a closer look at it with you.

Safari has produced many alligators over the years, under its various lines. Being the symbol of the company, headquartered in Florida, this makes sense. This alligator belongs to the Wild Wildlife line, which produces larger scaled, more detailed animal toys than the Wild Safari line. This is the first non-mammal to be produced for the line, but it is currently gone from the Safari Ltd. web site. I bought mine from there just this last May and the figure itself was released in 2017.

The Wild Wildlife alligator measures 11” (27.9 cm), making it almost twice as long as the Wild Safari alligator but smaller than the Incredible Creatures alligator. For those that are scale conscious this alligator might not work for them, but the larger size does allow for a greater degree of detail.

How large the actual American alligator gets is a matter of debate, and it’s a species for which a lot of exaggerated stories exist. The American alligator is an exceptionally bulky crocodilian, and the second largest member of the Alligatoridae family (black caimans are larger) averaging about 10’ (3.3 meters) in length with above average specimens measuring about 15’ (4.5). That puts this alligator at about 1/10 to 1/16 in scale. If you wanted it to be 1/20 it would have to be scaled down from a 19’ specimen which honestly, is not that farfetched of a possibility.

This alligator figure is about as close to perfection as a Safari toy has ever been. It looks like a literal, miniature American alligator. It is presented in a relaxed posture, legs splayed out, mouth closed, and tail gently curving into an S shape behind it. It is not particularly dynamic, and the closed mouth inhibits play, but it displays and photographs fantastically. This alligator was sculpted by Doug Watson, a name well known and revered amongst those of us that collect Safari’s prehistoric animals. If you recognize the name, then you already know this is a quality product.

I’m by no means an expert on crocodilian anatomy but I’ve seen enough alligators to know when something looks amiss. Many alligator toys don’t quite do it for me because I can usually spot that “something”. Usually, some minor piece of anatomy is missing or wrong, the proportions incorrect, or the sculpt too simplified.

I see absolutely nothing wrong or inaccurate with this figure. The head is broad and flat with bulging eyes, the neck deep and thick, the body muscular and robust, and the tail thick at the base and laterally flattened towards the tip. Looking closer we see several fine details that make the sculpt truly exemplary. Different scales and osteoderms accurately correspond to different portions of the body, with small, rounded scales even sculpted around the cloaca.

Although crocodilians are often touted as “living dinosaurs” they are not in fact, living dinosaurs. Birds are the only living dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are a unique group of animals with specific derived features that they inherited from their common ancestor. One of these characteristics, or synapomorphies, being the orientation of their legs under their hips. Crocodilians don’t share these synapomorphies with dinosaurs and branched off from the dinosaur-line before dinosaurs even existed. That said, crocodilians do belong to the archosaur clade, which is the larger clade that includes pterosaurs and dinosaurs, and by extension, birds. That makes crocodilians and birds more closely related than crocodilians are to other reptiles!

Even the best sculpt can be ruined or cheapened by a bad paintjob, not so here. The paint application and coloration are as lifelike as the sculpt itself. The body is predominantly black with a tan underside, where the colors come together, they blend nicely and a brown wash is evident over the osteoderms, giving them a worn appearance. Black banding is present on the tail with additional black markings painted on the underside. The white teeth are meticulously and cleanly painted.

Lastly, I want to point out that this model has an amazing shelf presence. Despite being a toy, this looks like an absolute beast of an alligator, one of astonishing strength, in its prime, and the apex predator of its habitat. It truly does this amazing animal justice in a way seldom captured in plastic. This figure is quite possibly the best American alligator ever produced and not only that, it’s also one Safari’s best animals in general.

Although currently unavailable on Safari’s web site the Wild Wildlife alligator can still be found elsewhere online for about $12, if you’re in the market for an alligator you’ll be hard pressed to find one better than this. I would absolutely love it if Doug Watson sculpted other crocodilians at a similar size to this one, it would make for an epic display.