🐊American alligators are at home in both freshwater and saltwater. They are excellent swimmers, using their strong tail to move quickly through the water. They catch prey with their powerful jaws and eat insects, fish, frogs, turtles, birds, and mammals.
Attacks on humans are rare, but they do occur. Most alligators hunt at night. During the day, they float near the surface, often with their mouths open. When a crocodile closes its mouth, two large teeth remain visible. These two teeth protrude upward, one on either side of the lower jaw. Alligators do not have teeth that protrude when the mouth is closed.
On land, alligators appear clumsy. Usually, they move slowly. But when they feel threatened or when they are hunting, they can move very fast. They cannot move well from side to side, however. An animal being chased by an alligator can usually escape by quickly changing its direction. When alligators reach maturity, their only real enemies are people who hunt them for their leathery skin and for sport. These reptiles are close to extinction in some areas of the world.
After mating, the female alligator digs a hole in which to lay her eggs. She piles grass and other matter on top of the eggs. She guards the nest for about three months until the young alligator's hatch. Then she carries the young down to the water.
