As a biochemist, Merchant went on to investigate the alligator’s immune system and discovered that alligators possess a substance, which he dubbed alligacin, that successfully fights these microbes.
Merchant hasn’t yet been able to isolate the substance from the alligator’s blood, but he has found that it can destroy harmful bacteria, including the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a strain of staph bacteria that’s immune to most antibiotics and that can cause problematic, dangerous infections.
While alligacin would be dangerous if humans were to take it by mouth (it could result in a life-threatening allergic reaction), it might be quite effective when added to an ointment, especially for burn patients, who often suffer from antibiotic-resistant infections.
Despite the alligator’s strong immune system, says Guillette, man-made chemicals may be taking a toll on the species. Through tracking the impact of synthetic chemicals known as endocrine disruptors on alligator health over the last few years, he found that male alligators from contaminated lakes, such as Lake Apopka in eastern central
Florida, have stunted male reproductive-organ growth. This is a finding that can affect more than alligators, notes Guillette, who says that the genes involved in male reproductive development in alligators are the same as those in mice, which, like humans, are mammals.
“If the environment is causing alterations in development in alligators, we’ve got to be worried about humans,” he warns.
The impaired health of alligators would also be a cause of concern for the environment as a whole. Though alligators are considered top predators, they do more than just take: They also help maintain the wetlands they inhabit. In dry weather, when the water starts to recede, alligators burrow into the ground, leaving behind so-called gator holes. Water then flows into these holes, becoming a living space for fish, wading birds and other critters. Alligators help keep the environment clean, too, through their removal of the weak and infirm.
For the faint of heart, it should be noted that in spite of their fearsome reputation, alligators are not out to eat people. Most gator attacks on humans are a result of a person doing something foolish — such as trying to feed an alligator. Besides not doing that, as long as you avoid camping near the water’s edge in alligator country or walking near swamps or canals at dusk (when most alligators like to eat), you should be safe. Sure, they aren’t cuddly or cute, but next time you come face to face with one, you’ll now know to respect it for more than just its ability to kill.
HARVEY BLACK is a freelance science writer based in Madison, Wis. He has written for Environmental Health Perspectives, The Scientist, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and New Scientist, among other publications.