ALLIGATOR
  
Alligators have been around for thousands of years. Alligators are the only reptiles still living that are related to dinosaurs. They have been on earth for more that 200 million years.  

Alligators are cold blooded.  This means that they have to depend on the sun and their surroundings for their body heat.  The sun warms their body and the water cools their body.
The United States in one of two countries where the alligator is native.  This means that it was not brought in from another country and raised here.    

Recently alligators have found their way to the MEEC.  The ponds offer a good food supply for the alligator since it is a carnivore.  The alligator has between 70-80 teeth. When the teeth wear out new ones grow in.  An alligator usually has between 2000-3000 teeth during its lifetime.  Alligators grow from 6-12 in length and weigh around 500 pounds when fully grown.  An alligator has 5 toes on its front feet and 4 toes on its back feet.  The back feet are webbed to help the alligator swim.    

Alligators usually hunt during the night.  They like to eat fish, snakes and turtles.  They do not chew their food, but swallow it whole.  If the food is too big to swallow whole, the alligator with swing its head from side to side until the prey is torn into smaller pieces.  Some times an alligator will attack a large dog or even a deer.  They will drag the large prey into the water and try to drown it.   

The female alligator lays eggs on the land.  As the babies hatch, the mother picks them up with her mouth and moves them to the water. The mother is very protective of her nest and  babies.