Animals

Female builds nest of vegetable debris 4-7 feet in diameter and 2-3 feet high. Courtship begins in April. Mating takes place in water after courtship displays by males. One display, known as the "water dance" is characterized by "fizzing" water around a male's torso, produced by a loud subsonic call. Female constructs a nest of rotting vegetation and lays about 45 hard-shelled white eggs slightly larger than hen’s eggs from late May through June. Nine week incubation. Female guards nest until babies call, then tears the nest open and cracks unhatched eggs with her teeth. She takes them to water and often remains with them. Young are about 9 inches at hatching, weighing 2 ounces. Growth is rapid: one foot in length for each of the first six years. Young alligators are preyed upon by others of their kind and by large fish, turtles, snakes, herons, raccoons, and black bears. They probably live 50-60 years.