By: Kyra Allen
Alligators
Behaviors
The largest males and females will defend prime territory
Large male alligators are solitary, territorial animals
Tail
An Alligator uses it's powerful tail to propel itself
through water
While alligators are fast in water they are generally slow
on land
The tail accounts for half of an alligators length
An alligators tail can be used to swim faster in water
to catch prey
XIII Webbed Feet
Some amphibians and reptiles have webbed feet and they use them in the same ways as birds
Webbed feet come in handy for swimming quickly
Alligators have webbed back feet
XII Differences between Crocodiles and Alligators
Alligators are found only in the US and China where
Crocodiles can be found across the world
Alligators prefer more of freshwater while, crocodiles like more of a salty water
Crocodiles are more of a lighter green other then alligators are darker green
Alligators, seem more tame compared to crocodiles
XI Habits
often stay in groups called " congregations"
groups typical are being seen basking in the sun
or taking a swim
This is because they can control their temperatures internally
Used water to hunt
Alligators are social creatures
X Offspring
temperatures below 86 F will be female
86 degrees F it will be a male
Eggs are gender neutral pending on the temperature incubation, will determine if it's a male of female.
Takes 65 days to hatch after mating
lay 20-50 eggs average
In September, when the young are ready to hatch, she will help them by moving the excess debris from the eggshell from when they are born
Hatchling's can go catch food when they are first born
Mate in June
IX Deaths
Most of them don't die of natural causes
Could die of their predators
Could die of starvation
VIII Life Cycle
Lay about 10 to 70 eggs at a time
When they hatch the life cycle starts again
VII Endangered
The species has made a dramatic recovery and was removed from the endangered species list in 1987
The reptiles were hunted close to extinction
After they were listed under the Endangered Species Act, hunting was prohibited and their habitat was protected
Were extinct by hunters killing them in their natural
habitat
V Diet
Alligators are carnivores
When young alligators eat fish, insects, snails, crustaceans
and worms
IV Living
American alligators occur in Florida, southern Texas,
Louisiana and parts of North and South Carolina Georgia and Alabama
The majority of American alligator inhabit Florida and
Louisiana
The alligators range appears to have been increasing northward in the last few years
Males average body weight: 1,000 pounds or a half of a ton
Grows about 2" per year to 12" per year, depending
on the habitat the alligator is living in
Crocodiles and alligators live side by side in only
in South Florida
Described as living fossils
Can live up to 30-50 years old (average)
Have been living for millions of years
III Predators and Prey
Small alligators get eaten by eagles, egrets and herons and so do carnivorous mammals such as wild pigs
When they mature they eat different food such
as larger fish such as gar, turtles, and various mammals particularly coypu, and muskrat
II Adaption
Have extremely thick plates
Rough skin for stalking their prey, which looks like a floating log
Are cold-blooded
Skin extremely tough
Modern Alligators have many adaptations
I Teeth
It easy to define an alligator by their teeth
Alligators have wider U-shaped snouts while, crocodiles
have more of a V-shaped snout
They loose teeth by catching their prey and eating it
1 An average alligator can go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in a lifetime
A.In an alligators snout, about 74 to 80 teeth at a time are in it
