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Alligators are remnants of a prehistoric era. When dinosaurs became extinct, these modern day contemporaries of dinosaurs continued to flourish and have survived their prehistoric relatives into the 20th century. There are two true species of alligators -- American and Chinese. Spanish explorers in the New World were the first Europeans to see the American version, and they named it el lagarto, the lizard.
Alligators are carnivores. Young alligators eat insects, snails and other invertebrates, frogs and small fish. At a length of about six feet they begin to feed predominantly on fish, turtles, snakes, waterbirds, and small mammals. Larger alligators readily eat carrion and, in fact, may prefer it to fresh meat. They are basically opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything, including such objects as sticks, stones, fishing lures and aluminum cans.
Although alligators don't hibernate in the true sense, they do undergo periods of dormancy in cold weather. It's common for an alligator to excavate a cave in the bank of a waterway and enlarge the inner chamber so a portion is above the water level. Alligators in north Florida are inactive during the coldest winter months. Throughout the rest of the state they generally remain active year-round. Females usually have small territories, while males can occupy ranges greater than two square miles. Researchers in Louisiana tracked one adult male for 33 miles through the marshes. Individuals of both sexes are most likely to become more active and extend their ranges during the April-to-May courtship and breeding season. Young alligators stay in the area where they were hatched until they are approximately two to three years old. They then begin to disperse in search of food, perhaps driven away by larger alligators to relocated if their water holes dry up.
As young alligators get ready to hatch in mid-August through mid-September, they begin to make high-pitched, grunting sounds. The females respond to these calls by using their mouths and forefeet to remove the nesting material covering the young, thus liberating the six-to-eight-inch hatchlings from the nest. Hatchlings remain in groups called "pods" at least through their first winter and may stay in the vicinity of the nest for two to three years. Female alligators may defend their young until the next summer. The first two years are the most critical in the life of an alligator. Eighty percent or more may fall victim to wading birds, raccoons, bobcats, otters, snakes, large bass and even larger alligators. Once an alligator exceeds four feet, it is relatively safe from predators, but may still be vulnerable to cannibalism.
CLICK ON THE ALLIGATOR FOR SOME COLORING FUN!
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Sexual
maturity is dependent on the size of the alligator, and both sexes first reach
sexual maturity when they are about six feet long. In the wild, this takes about
10 to 12 years; however, in captivity, under ideal conditions, alligators can
reach sexual maturity much sooner. After mating, females construct mounded
nests of whatever vegetation is available. In late June and early July they lay
35 to 50 eggs, although nests have been found with only a single egg or as many
as 88 eggs. After laying, the female cover the eggs with a layer of vegetation.
Throughout the 65-day incubation period, females remain nearby and some may
defend their nests against predators. In Florida, raccoons are the predominant
egg predator. Nesting success varies from area to area, but a success rate of
about 50 percent is considered normal. 
