Alligators: the American Alligators and the Chinese Alligators
Alligators
By: Rachel Charles
There are two main species of alligators in the world- the American alligator
and the Chinese alligator. The American alligator lives in the waters and lowlands of
southeastern United States. The Chinese alligator is found near Shanghai, but the
numbers have declined so much that this is now an endangered animal and is
virtually extinct. The Chinese alligator is much like the American alligator in its
habits and appearance. Other closely related reptiles are the caymans of Central and
South American.
An alligator is characterized by its broad snout and the lower teeth fit into
pockets in the upper jaw. On land they are very clumsy and cumbersome. In water
they use their tail as a propeller. Their eyes seem to stick up above their skulls so
that alligators can see above water while their bodies are beneath it. The skin of
alligators is tough, which is why it is often used to make purses and shoes. When
grown, the American alligator is a dull gray and dark olive color. It also has yellow
marks across its body, but theses fade after time.
The ears of an alligator are located just behind the eyes and are hidden under
flaps. The animal has a very acute sense of hearing and is able to detect sounds from
a great distance away. They spend most of the day in the water in holes because
they are unable to withstand any lengths of time in the high temperatures of the
natural habitat. When the weather is cool, they often come on land to lie on the
damp ground where the doze in the sun.
While alligators are still growing and maturing, alligators grow at a rate of
one foot each year. Alligators in the past grew to be 18 feet long or even longer. The
average size of an alligator today is about 9 feet, although in the early 20th century, it
was not an uncommon sight to see one that measured almost 20 feet in length.
At present, few alligators can
By: Rachel Charles
There are two main species of alligators in the world- the American alligator
and the Chinese alligator. The American alligator lives in the waters and lowlands of
southeastern United States. The Chinese alligator is found near Shanghai, but the
numbers have declined so much that this is now an endangered animal and is
virtually extinct. The Chinese alligator is much like the American alligator in its
habits and appearance. Other closely related reptiles are the caymans of Central and
South American.
An alligator is characterized by its broad snout and the lower teeth fit into
pockets in the upper jaw. On land they are very clumsy and cumbersome. In water
they use their tail as a propeller. Their eyes seem to stick up above their skulls so
that alligators can see above water while their bodies are beneath it. The skin of
alligators is tough, which is why it is often used to make purses and shoes. When
grown, the American alligator is a dull gray and dark olive color. It also has yellow
marks across its body, but theses fade after time.
The ears of an alligator are located just behind the eyes and are hidden under
flaps. The animal has a very acute sense of hearing and is able to detect sounds from
a great distance away. They spend most of the day in the water in holes because
they are unable to withstand any lengths of time in the high temperatures of the
natural habitat. When the weather is cool, they often come on land to lie on the
damp ground where the doze in the sun.
While alligators are still growing and maturing, alligators grow at a rate of
one foot each year. Alligators in the past grew to be 18 feet long or even longer. The
average size of an alligator today is about 9 feet, although in the early 20th century, it
was not an uncommon sight to see one that measured almost 20 feet in length.
At present, few alligators can