Alligator

An Alligator is a crocodilian in the genus alligator of the family Alligatoridae. The name alligator is an anglicized form of el lagarto the Spanish term for "lizard", the name by which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator. There are two living alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator. There are many adaptations for the American alligator. Baby alligators have an egg tooth that helps them get out of their egg during hatching time. They also have a muscular flat tail that propels them forward while they swim.The alligator is notorious for its bone crushing bite. In addition, the alligator has been described as a 'living fossil from the age of reptiles, having survived on earth for 200 million years'. An average adult American alligator's weight and length is 800 pounds and 13 feet long, but can grow to 14.5 feet long and weigh 1,032 pounds. The average lifespan for an alligator is 50 years.