Alligator Tales: The Cultural and Environmental History of Florida’s Iconic Reptile

FAIN: FEL-272827-21

Mark V. Barrow, Jr
Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA 24061-2000)

Writing leading to a book on the environmental and cultural history of the American alligator.

The American alligator is a giant, fearsome reptile that inhabits freshwater wetlands across much of the southeastern U.S. but is particularly abundant in Florida. I am seeking NEH support to complete a book-length environmental and cultural history of this popular icon, which I argue has long been central to defining the state’s identity. Drawing from nearly 3,000 sources, my research documents the myriad ways that Euro-Americans, Native Americans, and African Americans have related to this charismatic reptile over the past two centuries: not only as a terrifying predator, but also a landscape symbol, commodity, trophy, mascot, pet, totem, endangered species, nuisance, and sentinel species. I show how humans have shaped this apex predator, even as culture strongly inflects how we perceive it. When we peer into the eyes of an alligator, what we see reflected back is as much a product of our preconceptions and fears as the unvarnished reality of the creature that stands before us.