American Alligator Screen - Printed Cotton Tote Bag

* Seconds quality have slight printing imperfections in ink or a small smudge

Measures 16x14inches (handles measure 28inches long)

My designs are inspired by the flora and fauna of my home in South Florida. I draw each illustration and screen print in my home studio.

The American Alligator is a keystone species, meaning other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.

American alligators modify wetland habitats, most dramatically in flat areas such as the Everglades, by constructing small ponds known as alligator holes. Alligator holes retain water during the dry season and provide a refuge for aquatic organisms, which survive the dry season by seeking refuge in alligator holes

Dwindling populations of alligators were the result of hunting and loss of habitat, and the American alligator was listed as an endangered species in 1967 under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The number of alligators began to rebound when alligator farms opened and hunting was outlawed, easing the pressure on wild populations. However, even after hunting was prohibited in Florida, illegal poaching continued into the 1970s because the belly skin of alligators produces high-quality leather. Were it not for additional changes in the law controlling the movement of alligator hides, extinction may have been possible. Populations have since improved considerably, and alligators were removed from the list of endangered species in 1987 and are continuing to thrive in Florida today.