Size : 450-500 pounds; 12-feet long when full grown, up to 18 feet with tail.

Lifespan : Up to 50 years.

Breeding : Spring Mating. Eggs hatch after 2-3 months. Females lay 30-80 eggs.

Habits : Solitary.

Diet : Small alligators eat insects, crayfish, minnows, and frogs.  Adults eat anything that moves and that lives near the water, except people.  They will occasionally eat a large mammal such as a dog or pig.

    The American Alligator is an amphibious reptile that spends all of its time in and around swamps and rivers.  Alligators are related to crocodiles, but have a broad snout and do not have the side notch that exposes the long fourth tooth of the lower jaw like crocodiles.  The alligator's upper jaw teeth overlap those of the lower jaw and hide them from view.  Alligators and crocodiles are descendants of reptiles that lived between 225 and 65 million years ago.