Alligators are one of the cleanest confirmations in GTA 6 marketing. They appear briefly in Trailer 1 and prominently in Trailer 2's wetland sequence. The model is detailed and the framing in Trailer 2 suggests active behaviour rather than set dressing.
We treat alligators as a confirmed wildlife species and an open question on mechanics. For the wider list see the wildlife list; for the region, see the Everglades guide.
Where alligators appear in the trailers
Trailer 1 includes a short shot of an alligator on a road. The frame is brief but unambiguous - a real animal model, not a billboard. Trailer 2 expands this with the wetland sequence: alligators near airboats, alligators close to stilt houses, alligators in shallow water. The cluster of frames is consistent with an active wildlife system.
Both trailers locate alligators specifically in wetland environments. None are visible in urban Vice City frames, which tracks the real ecology - alligators are not city wildlife.
What we can reasonably infer about behaviour
Trailer 2's frames suggest alligators react to nearby movement. Whether that means full RDR2-style predator AI or a lighter ambient threat is unconfirmed. Rockstar's pattern in RDR2 was to give predators meaningful AI - stalking, ambushing, varied responses to player actions. The animal model and framing here suggests at least a comparable bar, not a downgrade.
What's not shown: hunting interaction, taming, or rideable wildlife. Anything beyond ambient predator behaviour is speculation.
What we don't know
Whether alligators are huntable. Whether they appear outside the wetlands. Whether they pose a threat to NPCs as well as the player. Whether storm or weather conditions change their behaviour. Whether the wetlands have a small handful or a meaningful population.
These are normal pre-launch unknowns. Trailer evidence supports a serious wildlife system. The specific mechanics will be confirmed at launch, not before.