American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

Alligators live in freshwater swamps, lakes, and rivers. Many people think alligators are aggressive animals. In fact, it is very rare for an alligator to attack a human. Alligators have killed only a few people in the last 50 years. These deaths occurred in the water. It is believed that the alligators mistakenly thought the people were prey. It is important, however, to never feed an alligator. Feeding alligators trains them to approach people and look for food.

Alligators are scary looking because of their size and large, sharp teeth. Males usually grow to 4 or 4.5 m (13 to 14.5 ft), and females may grow to 3 m (9.5 ft). Adults eat fish, turtles, birds, raccoons and small deer. Adult males will even eat baby alligators!

During wet months, alligators build "gator holes." Gator holes are shallow areas in marshy areas that hold water. During the dry months, alligators travel to find water. Sometimes they are seen in suburban areas crossing roads or taking refuge in a swimming pool. Better check your swimming pool before you jump in!

Alligators, like all predators, are an important part of the ecosystem. They also create habitat for other animals. During dry months, dried up gator holes are used by other animals for shelter. Some turtle species also use alligator nest mounds to lay their own eggs. During the spring, female alligators build nest mounds out of vegetation and mud along the banks of water. The nest mounds are usually 1 m (3 ft) high, and 2 m (6.5 ft) wide. Females lay 20-50 alligator eggs on the nest mound and then cover the eggs with more vegetation. The eggs hatch 65 day later. Hearing the cries of the newly hatched alligators, the female digs open the mound. She carries the young alligators to the water in her mouth. She sets them in the water to swim.

Alligators are "cold-blooded." Their body temperature is dependent upon the outside temperature. During warm, sunny weather, alligators bask in the sun to warm their bodies. During the winter months, they hibernate. They construct burrows for shelter and stay in these burrows throughout the winter. They are able to survive by lowering their metabolism and using energy they have stored in fat cells.