Alligators
and the
Everglades
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Alligators
and the
Everglades
Lake Okeechobee
Everglades
National Park
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Gator Holes
Alligators dig deep holes with their snouts and
large, sweeping tails. These holes become small
ponds. “Gator holes” are among the few places
where standing water remains in the winter.
As the Everglades dry out, many creatures
retreat to gator holes. These holes become a home
for many insects, turtles, fish, and wading birds.
There, they survive the dry times. When the rainy
season returns, the animals spread out again. In this
way, alligators help keep the Everglades’ wildlife
alive.
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Alligator Information
What is this important creature—the alligator? It is a
large, lizardlike reptile. The American alligator lives in
the southeastern United States. The only other alligator
in the world is the Chinese alligator. It is endangered
and may be extinct.
Alligators are ancient animals. They have been
around for at least 200 million years!
An alligator’s eyes, ears, and nostrils are on top of its
long head. As it floats on the water, these stick out above
the surface. When the alligator is drifting, it looks just
like a log. Surprise! Suddenly the alligator springs to life
and snaps up a meal.
Alligators may also wait for prey underwater. They
can hold their breaths for long periods of time. A special
valve in their hearts helps them do this.
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Nest-Building Time
In mid-June, female alligators start building their
nests. They build near water, usually in a gator hole.
The nest is made of plant materials—leaf mold, twigs,
and reeds. The alligator scrapes plants and mud into a
mound. Then she digs a hole in the top. She lays 20 to 50
eggs in the hole and covers them with more twigs and
other plant material.
The mounded nest raises the eggs above the water.
This protects them from flooding, which could kill them.
The heat produced by decaying nest material keeps the
eggs at the right temperature.
As with gator holes, an alligator’s nest mound be-
comes a home to many creatures. Turtles lay their eggs
in the mound. Swamp rabbits and raccoons live there.
Wading birds catch fish in the gator hole near the
mound.
Inside the mound, the eggs develop for about 60
days. The female alligator stays nearby. She returns to
the nest often to moisten and care for it. When she hears
croaking from inside the mound, she
digs it open. This helps the young
alligators escape.
After hatching, the babies
head for the nearest water.
Their mother may even carry
them there.
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Alligators in Danger
Alligator skin makes a high-quality leather that in the
past was used for shoes, belts, and suitcases. Because of
this, hunters killed alligators by the thousands. By 1967,
alligators were almost extinct. People were not allowed
to hunt alligators, but
poachers continued to
kill alligators illegally.
This is because it was
still legal to sell alliga-
tor hides. The laws had
to be changed. Stop-
ping the sale of alliga-
tor hides finally ended
the poaching, and alli-
gators began making a
comeback. In 1979,
they were taken off the
endangered species list.
When alligators die
off, so do other Ever-
glades animals.
Vegetation grows over abandoned gator holes. It fills
in the water channels alligators create when they move
around. During the dry season, there are fewer places
where animals can find water.
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Endangered Species
An endangered species is a kind of plant or animal that
is in danger of extinction. If an animal is extinct, it
doesn’t exist anymore. In the Everglades, two things
threaten life. These are loss of habitat and changes in
water flow. The following are some of the creatures that
are endangered today:
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