Alligators are reptiles. They have a wide, rounded snout and a black color. They are on average 13 feet long. The average weight is 790 pounds. They have a long, lumpy, bumpy body. The alligator is in the same family as the crocodile and the caiman.

Alligators are carnivores and eat only meat. They eat fish, turtles, mammals, birds, deer, and other reptiles. They drag their prey under the water to drown it, then they tear it apart to eat it.

Alligators are found only in the United States and China. Alligators live in freshwater such as marshes, wetlands, rivers, lakes, and swamps. Alligators build large nests to lay their eggs. They do not build shelters for themselves. Large male alligators live by themselves. Smaller ones stick together.

The alligator’s eyes and nose are on top of their head. This lets them hide under water to sneak up on prey. Humans are an alligator’s enemy. Humans will kill and eat alligators. Alligators use their tough skin, sharp claws, and powerful jaws to protect themselves from enemies.

Alligators will build nests on land and lay their eggs. The temperate of eggs determines if the alligator is a male or a female. Temperatures above 93 degrees Fahrenheit will become males, and those at 86 degrees Fahrenheit will become females. Alligators are good climbers. They climb on low limbs of trees.