Common Names:Alligator, gator
Habitat:canals, swamps, rivers, streams, ponds, pools, bogs, wetlands, and occasionally brackish water.
Description:Apex predators that will feed on turtles, birds, rodents, deer, dogs, fish, and almost anything that they can catch. Human attacks are rare but not unheard of. Although gators will eat birds, they help bird populations by controlling the number of rodents and raccoon that will often raid bird nests. Alligator also create ponds called gator pools by digging into the ground and allowing the hole to fill with water during dry periods, providing a habitat for other wildlife.

Mating season for gaotrs starts in April and May. Although alligators have no vocal cords, males bellow loudly to attract mates and warn off other males during this time by sucking air into their lungs and blowing it out in intermittent, deep-toned roars. Male alligators are also known to use infrasound during their mating behavior, as one of their routines is to engage in bellowing in infrasound while their head and tail are above the water, with their midsection very slightly submerged, making the surface of the water that is directly over their back literally "sprinkle" from their infrasound bellowing, in a so-called "water dance".

The female builds a nest of vegetation, sticks, leaves, and mud in a sheltered spot in or near the water. After she lays her 20 to 50 white, goose egg-sized eggs, she covers them under more vegetation, which, like mulch, heats as it decays, helping to keep the eggs warm. This differs from Nile crocodiles who lay their eggs in pits.

The temperature at which alligator eggs develop determines their sex. Those eggs which are hatched in temperatures ranging from 90 to 93° F become males, while those in temperatures from 82 to 86° F become female. Intermediate temperature ranges have proven to yield a mix of both male and females. The female will remain near the nest throughout the 65-day incubation period, protecting the nest from intruders. When the young begin to hatch they emit a high-pitched croaking noise, and the mother quickly digs them out.

They will hiss when threatened and will more often flee than fight. Their bite is one of the most powerful bites in the animal world.

Comments:Gatorade is not made from alligators.