Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. American Alligator. Tails, They Win!
Look, in the water: Is that a floating log or an alligator? Sometimes it can be hard to tell, because the color of an alligator's bumpy skin is really good camouflage, especially when it is resting. But if it needs to, an alligator can swim up to 20 miles per hour and run on land as fast as 11 miles per hour for short distances! Everglades-Alligator. Critter Catalog, Alligator mississippiensis, American alligator. What do they look like?
The average size for an adult female is just under 3 meters (9.8 feet), while the adult male usually falls between 4 and 4.5 meters (13 to 14.7 feet). American alligators reaching lengths of 5-6 meters (16 to 20 feet) have been reported in the past, but there have been no recent recordings equaling those lengths. (Britton, 1999; Ross, 1989) American alligators have very short legs, but they are still able to run very quickly over short distances. The two front legs each have 5 toes, and the two back legs each have four webbed toes. American Alligator Facts and Pictures. Fun Alligator Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Alligators. Alligators and Crocodiles for Kids: Learn about these giant reptiles. Back to Animals Alligators and crocodiles are reptiles.
This means they are cold-blooded and have to regulate their body temperature with their surroundings. Alligators do this by cooling off in the shade or the water and warming up in the sun. Alligators and crocodiles, like most reptiles, also lay eggs and their skin is covered with hard, dry scales. Sometimes alligators are called gators for short and sometimes crocodiles are called crocs for short.