The American alligator, or gator, is a large animal that lives in the Southeastern United
States and is only found in America. A male gator weighs about 500 pounds while the female weighs 200 pounds. They can grow up to 12 feet or longer and the largest alligator caught was 15 feet and 1,011.5 pounds. The female alligator lays eggs in June or July and then it lays about 35 eggs, but they can lay up to 50. They also live to be about 30-50 years old when in the wild and live to be 65-80 years old when in captivity. The American alligator is known for being a great swimmer, with their webbed feet and strong tails that help them swim through water.
Surprisingly, the American alligator has a natural fear of humans, but it is rare for an alligator to chase a human. If they do, alligators will run up to 35 miles per hour, but they normally don’t attack humans. It will probably chase you because you entered its territory, but it will not kill you.
There are about 5 million American alligators spread all across the United States, but about 1.25 million live in Florida. The American alligator eats insects, amphibians, small fish, turtles, and birds. One interesting fact about them is that they can go for about 3 years without eating. The alligator is also an ancient species. This is because they belong to the group Crocodylia, that had been around for at least 84 million years and had ancestors that were dating back to 200 million years ago.
The American alligator prefers to eat meat but isn't opposed to fruit. They have been caught eating fruits and vegetables. Alligators have 75 teeth but as the teeth break loose and fall off, they grow new ones and have more. They can grow more than 3,000 teeth! They also have a very strong bite, two times stronger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex! They have such a strong bite that they are the strongest biters in the world!
American alligators care for their young, unlike most reptiles. They look after them for about two years. The babies grow a foot per year, so they are good sized predators by the time they are on their own. Some alligators can be cruel because they eat their young.