by Trenna Sue Hiler

Created on: September 30, 2008   Last Updated: December 19, 2009

The American Alligator is an amazing creature. They seem well adapted for their environment and seem to flourish. Let's take a look at some facts about the alligator.

*Alligators have a third eyelid. This is a transparent lid that protects the eye underwater and gives the alligator a way to see.

*Hatchlings have an egg tooth. A piece of skin hardens on the tip of the nose and helps the hatchling to break out of the eggs. Eventually it is softened and absorbs back into the skin.

*Alligators have great longevity. It is believed that in the right circumstances they can live 35 50 years in the wild. In captivity there has been documentation of up to 75 years.

*Alligators can run up to 20 miles per hour in a very short burst of speed.

*Alligators have a crushing power of up to 3000 psi in their jaws. The number is directly related to the size of the gator and has been recorded by using bite bars.

*Alligator meat is eaten by many. According to most hunters the tail is the most prime cut of meat.

*It's name came from the Spaniards explorers who referred to it as "el lagarto" the lizard.

*Alligators teeth are conical. They are used for holding and grabbing, not cutting.

*Alligators have a four chambered heart.

*Alligators are carnivorous. They eat fish, turtles, snails, birds, frogs and mammals that come to the water's edge. Small prey is eaten whole. If the prey is large they shake it and spin it till it comes apart.

*Alligators can tolerate salt water for short periods of time. They don't have salt glands, so they can not survive for long periods of time in salt water.

*Alligators go into a period of dormancy when the weather gets cool. They dig themselves a "gator hole", a depression along a waterway and use it for their dormancy period.

*Alligators normally have 74 to 80 teeth in their jaw, divided evenly top and bottom.

*Male alligators have about a two mile radius they call home

*Alligators have nostrils on the top of their snout. This way they can hide underwater and only have their snout visible to breathe.

*The alligator is the Official reptile of Florida.

*Alligators hang out with their Moms for two or three years

*Alligators sometimes find that red-bellied sliders use alligator nest for their eggs as well.

*80% of alligator hatchlings are eaten by other animals

*Alligators use their feet for balance in the water and their tail give them speed when swimming.

*The top jaw of an alligator is really just an extension of their skull. The bottom jaw is hinged.

*Alligators can be affected be snake venom. It is rare because of the scutes that protect the alligator.

*Last, but not least, My Dad says there is nothing better than a pair alligator skin cowboy boots. (Don't worry, they are harvested on farms now)

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