Alligator is showing up on more and more restaurant menus, but the biggest profit realized from these reptiles comes from the hides, which are used in high-end consumer goods such as purses, belts, watch bands and even a $400 pair of flip-flops . In Louisiana, alligator farmers bring in nearly $47.5 million annually, with roughly $43.4 million of the value coming from trade in skins. Finding the most efficient means of raising these prehistoric beasts is the goal of the new Alligator Research Facility in Baton Rouge – the only facility of its kind for studying the American alligator.