Animalscaretips
The Creature Feature: 10 Fun Facts About the American Alligator
- Alligators are toothy. ...
- Alligators continue to grow throughout their lifetimes. ...
- They can use tools. ...
- Alligators have two kinds of walks. ...
- Alligators are ecosystem engineers. ...
- Alligators are apex predators that also eat fruit.
- What do alligators eat?
- Do alligators have teeth?
- Do alligators have brains?
- How do alligators poop?
- What do alligators do all day?
- Can alligators sleep underwater?
- Are alligators deaf?
- What are alligators scared of?
- Is a alligator a dinosaur?
- Do alligators have bones in their tails?
- Do alligators eat fruit?
- Do alligator eyes glow?
What do alligators eat?
Alligators are opportunistic feeders. Their diets include prey species that are abundant and easily accessible. Juvenile alligators eat primarily insects, amphibians, small fish, and other invertebrates. Adult alligators eat rough fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and birds.
Do alligators have teeth?
A mature alligator has 80 conical shaped teeth. They have no molars for crushing and grinding food therefore they swallow their food whole. Lost teeth are replaced. An alligator may go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in its lifetime.
Do alligators have brains?
They are instinctual living machines. An alligator's brain weighs only 8 or 9 grams and would take up only one-half of a tablespoon. This lack of brain power means there is no such thing as a "nice alligator." If it's hungry, an alligator will eat anything that moves.
How do alligators poop?
Alligators do not urinate: Both feces and nitrogenous waste are excreted through a single opening – the cloaca. ... The size of the scat depends on the size of the animal. An enormous specimen can produce droppings of several inches in diameter. Hatchlings produce tiny scats.
What do alligators do all day?
They mostly feed at night and are sleeping at different parts of the day. These reptiles will take every chance they can get to bask in the sun and take long naps. While you may come across a gator that appears to be sleeping, it's very important that you keep your distance as these gators know no limits for prey.
Can alligators sleep underwater?
While alligators are known to rest underwater, for even up to 24 hours if necessary, depending on the conditions, when it comes to sleeping, they rather prefer to do it under the sun.
Are alligators deaf?
Alligators and crocodiles are related. ... Alligators have fairly poor eyesight. They have a “nictitating membrane” to protect their eyes so that they can see underwater. Alligators hear with ears that are located behind their eyes and are very sensitive to vibrations in the water.
What are alligators scared of?
Alligators have a natural fear of humans, and usually begin a quick retreat when approached by people. If you have a close encounter with an alligator a few yards away, back away slowly. It is extremely rare for wild alligators to chase people, but they can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances on land.
Is a alligator a dinosaur?
Crocodylians, which include alligators and crocodiles, are not dinosaurs. They are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs, however (because birds are theropod dinosaurs). Dinosauria is a group that was originally defined by anatomist Richard Owen based on a few described taxa, including Iguanodon and Megalosaurus.
Do alligators have bones in their tails?
Using high-tech imaging techniques and traditional dissection, the researchers found that the gators' tails regrew cartilage, connective tissue and skin instead of bone and skeletal muscle, reports CNN.
Do alligators eat fruit?
Different alligators and crocodiles will eat all sorts of fruits and veggies, says Switek, everything from “wild grape, elderberry, and various citrus fruits” to pears, apples, and even corn.
Do alligator eyes glow?
Like cats, an alligator has a tapetum lucidum at the back of each eye – a structure that reflects light back into the photoreceptor cells to make the most of low light. The colour of eyeshine differs from species to species. In alligators, it glows red – one good way to locate alligators on a dark night.
