7 Fascinating Facts About Alligators

Alligators are members of the crocodilian family which includes other fellow mates, such as crocodiles, caimans, American alligators, and Chinese alligators. Along with boasting their ecological importance, alligators grab attention by showcasing strength, speed, and ferocity. Some intriguing facts about alligators prove the diversity of the reptile family, highlighting the nuances of each species’ emergence and evolution.

This guide will reveal some shocking facts about alligators, presenting their evolutionary history and some other facts that are unknown to many. 

1: Alligators Can’t Survive in Salt Water

Unlike crocodiles, which possess specialized glands to excrete excess salt from their bodies, alligators lack such adaptations. Consequently, they exhibit lower tolerance to prolonged exposure to saltwater environments.

Abnormalities have been noticed in the movement of alligators within salty environments such as near-shore marine areas, mangrove swamps, and salt marshes. While these creatures primarily inhabit freshwater ecosystems such as swampy areas, rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds, they can spend limited time in saltwater surroundings.

2: Alligators Are Ancient

Yes, alligators are ancient, tracing their origins to millions of years ago. One of the most common species of the reptile group Crocodilians, the American Alligator, has witnessed minimal evolutionary change since its emergence about 84 million years ago, during the dinosaur period. However, their ancestors evolved more than 200 million years ago.

Among the fascinating facts about alligators, their evolutionary history is like a suspense thriller. Alligators and caimans went their separate ways in North America, somewhere between  53 million and about 65 million years ago, respectively, during the Tertiary or late Cretaceous. On the other hand, the Chinese alligator broke apart from the American alligator approximately 33 million years ago. 

Most interestingly, researchers often recognize Alligators as dinosaurs’ descendants despite being more closely related to the archosaurs.

3: Alligators’ Sex is Determined by Temperature

Like turtles, alligators follow Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination instead of DNA, which means the temperature during egg incubation can determine the sex of the offspring. Higher temperature indicates the production of male baby alligators, while lower temperature ensures female alligator birth. 

Research shows that a difference of 37.4° Fahrenheit plays a major role in changing the sex of alligators. 86° Fahrenheit temperature produces female alligators, and 91.4° Fahrenheit results in male production. 

4: Alligators Can Weigh More Than 1,000 Pounds

American alligators have exceeded the weight of 1000 pounds several times. For example, a gator caught in Alabama weighed 1,011.5 pounds. Another instance is a gator caught in 1989, which was 1,043 pounds and is known as the heaviest alligator in Florida. 

Mike Cottingham caught the heaviest alligator in history, which weighed 1,380 pounds and was 13 feet 3 inches long. 

5: Alligators Can’t Chew

Among the other facts about alligators, it’s true that besides having 74 to 80 teeth, they can not chew their food. Their jaws are anatomically designed to freely move only up and down and not sideways, which causes a disability in chewing. 

So, how do they eat? Alligators are habituated to swallowing their prey whole. They rely on their sharp teeth to tear apart large hunts, making the feast easier to consume.

6: Alligators Can Roar

Can you imagine a roar without vocal cords? Yes, alligators made it possible by inhaling air into their lungs and releasing it as an intense roar, making them the ‘loudest reptile in the world.’ Their roars typically reach 90 decibels, which is 20 decibels louder than the standard human vocalization.  

However, the roaring reason can be because they especially howl to warn off other males and attract mates. Furthermore, their roaring can be for scaring off potential predators. 

7: Alligators Can Go Through 3,000 Teeth in a Lifetime

As mentioned earlier, an alligator has 74 to 80 teeth in its mouth at any one time, which are replaced repeatedly after wearing off. The regeneration of a lost tooth can occur up to 50 times, resulting in around 3,000 teeth throughout its life. 

Conclusion

With a rich evolutionary history and remarkable adaptations, alligators are fascinating creatures. Indeed, the facts about alligators discussed above will keep you amazed, but the alarming downward graph of their existence is concerning. According to existing information, alligators’ eggs are prone to drowning and being crushed by female alligators. Juveniles are eaten by predators like raccoons, while cannibalism has also put their existence at risk.

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