An alligator has a wide, rounded snout. A crocodile has a narrow snout. An alligator closes its mouth. Its lower teeth are hidden. A crocodile closes its mouth. Large teeth stick out.

Alligators, crocodiles, caimans and gharials make up one group. The group is called crocodilians.

An alligator's skin is armored with bony plates called scutes. Adult alligators are dark in color. They are mostly dark gray, olive brown or black. An alligator's tail is about half of its length.

Alligators live in fresh water. They live in slow rivers, swamps, marshes and lakes. They live across the southeastern United States. They range from the northern coast of North Carolina to central Texas. An alligator can stay in salty water only for a short time.

The alligator is the largest reptile in the United States. This is true as of November 2026. A grown male is about 11 feet long on average. The largest male alligators can weigh about 1,000 pounds.

Small sensory spots are around an alligator's face and jaws. They feel pressure changes in the water.

An alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in its life. It uses its sharp teeth to seize and hold food. It swallows small food whole. It eats fish, turtles, birds and small mammals.

Alligators bask in the sun to warm up. They are cold-blooded. In winter an alligator rests in a den. It comes out on warm days.

A mother alligator builds a nest of plants. She lays about 20 to 50 eggs in it. The temperature of the nest decides whether a baby alligator is a male or a female. A mother alligator may carry her hatchlings to the water in her mouth.

Alligators are old enough to breed when they are about 6 feet long. As of November 2026, an alligator in the wild typically lives 20 to 30 years.

Words to know

• crocodilians: alligators and kin
• scutes: bony plates
• hatchlings: newly hatched young
• breed: have young