The American Alligator male, called a bull, can live to be 50 years old, grow to be more than 12 feet in length and weigh as much as 1,000 pounds. . A female, a cow, can lay up to 90 eggs in her nest although many eggs and young are eaten by predators such as birds, snakes, fish, mammals and other alligators.. What they eat depend on their size and age. Adult alligators consume fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and birds. Young alligators, hatchlings, eat primarily insects, amphibians, small fish, and other invertebrates. As an American alligator’s teeth wear down or fall out, new ones grow in. An alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime. As reptiles, they are cold-blooded so they are most active between 82º to 92º temperatures. They stop feeding below 70ºF and become dormant below 55ºF. Alligators seek out warmth to energize their bodies as they bask in the sun or dig holes in mud to trap heat. (Florida Wildlife Commission & National Geographic)
Alligator Mating Ritual - the bull is in the lower screen
