Fossil Alligator Tooth
Alligator mississippiensis
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A blunt, conical tooth with a hollow base, rounder and stubbier than a shark tooth.
- Typical size
- 0.4–2 in
- How often it turns up
- Common
- Collecting
- Archaeological, leave in place
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Vertebrate fossils collected from state-owned land or submerged bottoms in Florida require a fossil permit from the Florida Museum of Natural History. Beach-washed finds above the waterline are generally fine, but know your site.
How to tell it apart
- Cone-shaped with a hollow open base
- Smooth enamel, faint vertical lines
- Dark brown to black when fossil
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for fossils. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Caspersen Beach · Venice
- Englewood Beach (Chadwick Park) · Englewood
- Stump Pass Beach State Park · Englewood
- Turner Beach · Captiva
- Turtle Beach · Siesta Key
Found one?
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More fossils in the field guide
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