The alligator is a large reptile that is nearly all black and covered with scales, though young alligators have bright yellow spots or stripes that fade as they grow. Its eyes and nostrils are prominent, being slightly raised above the rest of its head. It has a rounded snout. The alligator has short legs and webbed toes, five on the front and four on the rear. The tail is nearly as long as the body and very muscular.
The American alligator is restricted to the Coastal Plains and is found throughout the coastal regions along the Atlantic Ocean in swampy areas, bayous, marshes, coastal rivers, and even lakes and ponds. While it prefers freshwater locations, the alligator also populates some brackish salt water locations. The alligator is most commonly found in regions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina. The warmth of this region allows the alligator to absorb heat from its surroundings.
As an opportunistic hunter, the alligator feeds on a large variety of prey. Primarily, the adult gator will consume everything from fish to small mammals. The alligator swallows its prey whole or tears off pieces small enough to swallow. A special valve in its throat allows it to capture prey under water, though the gator must surface in order to actually swallow it without getting water in its throat. The young alligator eats invertebrates and small fish.
Breeding season for the alligator begins around April. Males rub against females, bellow at them and blow bubbles at them to get their attention. One male may battle to service as many as 10 females. The female lays 40 to 50 eggs in late June or early July in a nest she has built of sticks, twigs, mud and other vegetation. The eggs hatch 60 to 65 days later. Only one in five eggs actually reaches full incubation.
