The American order Alligator

Young American Alligators feed on insects, small fish, and frogs. As they get bigger, they begin to take larger prey, such as turtles and water bird's. Adults feed on land as well as in water. They are opportunistic feeders, attacking anything that comes within reach. They even leap up to snatch bird's perching on low branches. During the cold weather, American Alligators become dormant in burrows dug into mud banks. In dry periods, they will travel long distances to find water, sometimes ending up in swimming pools. After mating, the female makes a mound of vegetation and mud above high waterline and order lays eggs in the top. When she hears the hatchlings calling, she breaks open the nest and carries her young to the water. They stay with their mother for about a year.