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The Alligator is an animal that appears in Age of Empires and Age of Empires III.

Age of Empires[]

Alligators are slow predators typically found near water. They attack any player unit which comes too close (within around 4 cells). Being so slow, they are easily outran by nearly all units, so they are most dangerous for Villagers attempting to build Docks, fishing or performing other coastal jobs which require them to stay in one place.

If slain by a Villager, Alligators yield 100 food. However, this is of limited use, as their food yield decays at the extremely rapid rate of 1 food per second, and they are generally located in small numbers and away from optimal Storage Pit sites. It is possible to lure them towards Storage Pits for faster food acquisition, but this can be a lengthy, attention-demanding task with a small reward. If an Alligator is hunted down by a Villager, bring as many nearby Villagers to the site as possible to gather the food before the carcass decays.

In many cases, it may be better just to use military units to eliminate the nuisance that Alligators pose. This eliminates their food yield, but may be more efficient than to spend Villager time kiting and spearing it for a small helping of food.

In Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, the animals are known as Crocodiles rather than Alligators. Other than that, the two animals are identical in stats and food provided.

Trivia[]

  • The presence of alligators in the game (originally set in the eastern Mediterranean only) is a mistake, as these were based on the species Alligator mississippiensis which is only found in the southern United States. However, a second species, A. sinensis, lives in eastern China and is believed to have inspired ancient Chinese myths about dragons.

Age of Empires III[]

The Alligator is an animal treasure guardian in Age of Empires III. It generally appears on North and South American maps such as Bayou, Amazonia, and Yucatan, but also Caribbean. It is a low- to moderate-strength guardian that suffers from having a small number of hit points, making it relatively easy to clear. Many treasures are protected by groups of Alligators, which can quickly deal a lot of damage due to their lower Rate of Fire. Its high speed also prevents ranged Heroes from kiting them.

History[]

Scientific Name: Alligator mississippiensis
Approx. Size: 9 ft. long; 200 lb.
Diet: Fish, frogs, snails, mammals

Alligators are distinguished from crocodiles by a number of features. An alligator's eyes do not face forward as much as a crocodiles'. Both the upper and lower teeth are visible when a crocodile shuts its mouth; an alligator's closed mouth reveals only upper teeth. The easiest and most reliable method to distinguish between the two is the alligator's broad snout. Alligators range throughout the southeastern portion of North America. Female alligators lay dozens of eggs and cover them with vegetation to keep them warm. The temperature of the eggs as they incubate determines the gender of the babies that hatch.

Adult alligators dig holes by thrashing their bodies and digging with claws and snout. The purpose of these holes is to ensure that the alligator has a place to shelter during the hottest part of summer and droughts. It can also provide water for other animals during especially dry seasons, which, not coincidentally provides food for the enterprising alligator. The word alligator comes from a corruption of the Spanish word for the animal they encountered in the Florida wetlands, "el lagarto" - the lizard.

Trivia[]

  • Despite appearing in all American tropical maps, the American alligator is only found in the southern U.S. in reality, from Texas to the Carolinas. It is presumably used as a stand in for other crocodilians like caimans and crocodiles. However, it is absent from southern Asian maps, where saltwater crocodiles should be found.

Gallery[]

Animals in Age of Empires
Until Age of Empires Definitive Edition icon Definitive Edition
HuntablesReturn of rome gazelle Gazelle · Returnofrome elephant icon Elephant
PredatorsAlligatorAOEIcon Alligator · Returnofrome lion icon Lion · Returnofrome crocodile icon Crocodile
Marine creaturesAoE2 DE shore fish icon Shore Fish · AoE2 DE tuna icon Tuna · AoE2 DE salmon icon Salmon · Aoede whale icon Whale
Animal KingsReturnofrome lion icon Lion (Alpha) · Returnofrome crocodile icon Crocodile (Alpha) · Return of rome gazelle Gazelle (Alpha) · Returnofrome elephant icon Elephant (Alpha)
OtherReturnofrome lion icon Lion (tame)
DecorativeAoEDE Eagle icon Bird · Dragon Icon updated nuRoR Dragon
CutHorse icon AoE Horse · Goat Goat
Including AoE2Icon-ReturnRome Return of Rome
HuntableAoE2DE Deer icon Deer · AoE2DE ingame ibex icon Ibex · Boar aoe2DE Iron Boar · Boar aoe2DE Javelina · Ostrich icon aoe2de Ostrich · PR4-010 Rhinoceros · Boar aoe2DE Wild Boar · Zebra aoe2DE Zebra
HerdableCowDE Cow · Goat aoe2DE Goat · AoE2DE ingame goose icon Goose · PR4-009 Llama · Iconpig Pig · Sheep aoe2DE Sheep · PR4-006 Turkey · Yak aoe2DE Water Buffalo
PredatorAoE2DE ingame bear icon Bear · PR2-002 Dire Wolf · PR4-004 Jaguar · AoE2 DE komodo Komodo Dragon · PR2-002 Rabid Wolf · AoE2DE ingame snow leopard icon Snow Leopard · PR4-016 Tiger · PR2-002 Wolf
CivilianBactrian camel icon Bactrian Camel · AoE2DE ingame camel icon Camel · Donkey caravan aoe2DE Donkey · Returnofrome horse icon Horse
Military animalsAoE2 DE alfred icon Alfred the Alpaca · Monkey aoe2DE Furious the Monkey Boy · Penguin aoe2DE Penguin
DecorativeBactrian camel icon Wild Bactrian Camel · AoE2DE ingame camel icon Wild Camel · Returnofrome horse icon Wild Horse
Marine animalsAoE2 DE box turtles icon Box Turtles · AoE2 DE dolphin icon Dolphin · AoE2 DE dorado icon Dorado · AoE2 DE marlin icon Marlin · AoE2 DE perch icon Perch · AoE2 DE snapper icon Snapper
Animals in Age of Empires III
Land
HerdablesCow aoe3de Cow · Goat aoe3de Goat · Llama aoe3de Llama · Cow aoe3de Sacred Cow · Sanga aoe3de Sanga Cattle · Sheep aoe3de Sheep · Water buffalo aoe3de Water Buffalo · Yak portrait aoe3de Yak · Aoe3de zebu Zebu Cattle · Sanga aoe3de Big Benny
HuntablesBighorn sheep aoe3de Bighorn Sheep · Bison aoe3de Bison · Capybara aoe3de Capybara · Caribou aoe3de Caribou · Deer aoe3de Deer · Elephant aoe3de Elephant · Elk aoe3de Elk · Gazelle portrait Gazelle · Giant salamander aoe3de Giant Salamander · Giraffe portrait Giraffe · Guanaco aoe3de Guanaco · Ibex aoe3de Ibex · Marco polo sheep aoe3de Marco Polo Sheep · Moose aoe3de Moose · Musk deer aoe3de Musk Deer · Musk ox aoe3de Musk Ox · Nilgai aoe3de Nilgai · Ostrich portrait aoe3de Ostrich · Pronghorn aoe3de Pronghorn · Rhea aoe3de Rhea · Saiga aoe3de Saiga · Serow aoe3de Serow · Tapir aoe3de Tapir · Turkey aoe3de Turkey · Zebra portrait aoe3de Zebra
Treasure guardiansAlligator aoe3de Alligator · Tibetan macaque aoe3de Baboon · Black bear aoe3de Black Bear · Black panther aoe3de Black Panther · Beast portrait Beast · Beast portrait Beast of Gévaudan · Grizzly aoe3de Brown Bear · Cougar aoe3de Cougar · Pet wolf aoe3de Coyote · Alligator aoe3de Crocodile · Elephant aoe3de Elephant · Ethiopian Wolf portrait Ethiopian Wolf · Grizzly aoe3de Grizzly Bear · Hippo portrait Hippo · Honey Badger portrait Honey Badger · Hyena portrait aoe3de Hyena · Jaguar pet aoe3de Jaguar · Jaguar pet aoe3de Leopard · Lion aoe3de Lion · Liontailed macaque aoe3de Lion-Tailed Macaque · Guardian dog portrait Mad Dog · Monitor lizard aoe3de Monitor Lizard · Orangutan portrait aoe3de Orangutan · Panda portrait aoe3de Panda · Polar bear aoe3de portrait Polar Bear · Rhino aoe3de Rhinoceros · Snow leopard aoe3de Snow Leopard · Snowmonkey aoe3de Snow Monkey · Tibetan macaque aoe3de Tibetan Macaque · Tiger icon aoe3de Tiger · Warthog portrait Warthog
Unknown-exclusiveAoe3de zebu Cash Cow · Aoe3de zebu Wood Cattle
MilitaryWar dog aoe3de Dog · Turkey scout portrait aoe3de Intrepid Turkey Scout · Sheep aoe3de Lamb of the Creator · Pet wolf aoe3de Tengri Wolf
Water
Treasure guardiansAlligator aoe3de Alligator · Hippo portrait Hippo · Greatwhiteshark aoe3de Great White Shark · Orca aoe3de Orca · White tiger aoe3de White Tiger · Warthog portrait Wild Boar · Pet wolf aoe3de Wolf
FishBass aoe3de Bass · Carp portrait aoe3de Carp · Catfish portrait aoe3de Catfish · Cod portrait aoe3de Cod · Mahi portrait aoe3de Mahi-mahi · Mola mola portrait aoe3de Mola Mola · Salmon aoe3de Salmon · Sardine portrait aoe3de Sardines · Squid portrait aoe3de Squid · Tarpon portrait aoe3de Tarpon · Tuna aoe3de Tuna
WhalesBeluga whale portrait aoe3de Beluga Whale · Whale humpback portrait aoe3de Humpback Whale · Minke whale portrait aoe3de Minke Whale
Air
Bird · Bird unit icon AoE3DE Bird (unit)
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