Once in the water the alligator is a powerful swimmer He uses his tail to propel himself while his webbed feet steer The alligator moves very quickly in the water He can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour 32 km h or more When the alligator surfaces only his eyes and nostrils are above the water Hidden in the swamp he waits As he floats in the water the alligator begins to hunt He uses his senses of sight and smell to search for prey When an unsuspecting fish 6 Cold Weather When the weather gets cold American alligators slow down and become dormant If the temperature dips below 70 degrees Fahrenheit 21 C they stop feeding At extremely warm or cold temperatures alligators dig a den or burrow in the bank of a river pond or lake It can be as long as 65 feet 20 m The den provides alligators with a stable temperature and protection The alligator’s metabolism slows down It does not breathe as often While dormant alligators live off their own fat They do not need to feed They rarely stay in a den for longer than a week or two
When it is hot an alligator will sometimes have its mouth open This is one way an alligator cools itself swims by the alligator snaps it up in his powerful jaws He swallows the prey whole The alligator can spend many hours in the water When he wants to warm up again he moves back to the shoreline He rests in a sunny spot near the water’s edge At one point an unlucky raccoon comes for a drink The alligator moves in a short burst of speed toward the raccoon He traps the prey and grabs it in 7
Alligators have both inner and outer eyelids The inner eyelids help protect an alligator's eyes underwater his jaws He slides into the water pulling the prey with him He drowns it in the water and swallows it The alligator returns to the bank A few other alligators gather nearby to bask in the sun Yet the hunter does not stay with the group He will move around by himself When he is ready to hunt again he prefers to return to the water alone
Threats to the Alligator The American alligator is an intimidating predator It has an armored body a muscular tail and powerful jaws These features have made it the top predator in its habitat for millions of years In fact scientists believe this alligator species is more than 150 million years old It was alive at the time of the dinosaurs When dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago the American alligator survived 9 Social Interactions Male and female alligators are often seen basking together Alligators use specific vocalizations to coordinate activity with one another and signal danger During mating season large male alligators fight each other to establish dominance Males attract females with roars rumbles and head slaps Males and females develop bonds by swimming together blowing bubbles and nudging snouts Newly hatched alligators remain together in groups called pods for several months with their mother nearby Eventually the alligators in these groups disperse when they are one or two years old Alligators will tolerate others living nearby
