Alligator Claw Keychain

A bit of a collector's novelty in Florida and Louisiana, these neat keychains definitely add a spark of curiosity to your keys. Beyond being a conversation starter or a high five always on standby, these keychains represent a creature that roamed the Earth alongside the dinosaurs. The American alligator as we know it today didn’t live alongside the dinosaurs, but its ancestors absolutely did. Alligators belong to a group called archosaurs, which includes both modern crocodilians and extinct dinosaurs. The American alligator itself showed up more recently—around 6 to 8 million years ago—but it's part of a lineage that’s basically shrugged off multiple mass extinction events. Considering how most creatures fared during those times, it’s an absolute wonder these are still around today. During the ’60s, the American alligator was hunted to near extinction. Thanks to protective laws and wildlife preserves, their numbers have rebounded greatly. Today, it’s estimated that there are 3 to 4 million alligators living in the wild. These specimens were ranched gators raised for food, not taken from the wild.