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15 American alligator facts

Hopefully some of these will make you as awed by alligators as I am.

  1. Alligators can climb fences. In fact, they've gotten into NASA buildings.
  2. Alligators can use tools. Now I don't mean a hammer (but boy would that be cool), I mean that they balance sticks on their snouts to try and lure birds into landing.
  3. Alligator moms are the most protective reptile moms. They guard their nests, help the babies get out of the nest, and respond to their calls for help.
  4. Alligators skulls are so thick that they can do some serious damage just whacking you with their heads.
  5. Alligators can hibernate (kinda). Apparently for reptiles it's called brumation, but it's a lot like hibernation. Anyways, alligators can just kinda be in frozen water and stick their snouts out a bit and survive it, despite being cold-blooded.
  6. Alligators can shift the position of their lungs in order to change their position in water.
  7. Alligator blood is insanely resistant to infection. It's being studied to see if we can adapt it to help humans somehow.
  8. The sex of alligators is determined by the temperature around them.
  9. Alligators can get up to 30mph on land.
  10. Alligators' eyes can reflect back light, making them look like they're glowing red if you shine a light on them in the night.
  11. Alligators used to be endangered, but have made a great recovery.
  12. Alligators eat fruit.
  13. When alligators' teeth get worn down, they're replaced with new ones. Alligators can go through about 3,000 teeth during their lives.
  14. Alligators have one of the strongest bites of animals that are still extant.
  15. Alligators first appeared about 37 million years ago, so basically they won evolution.
(Prompt by me)

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