Where Do Alligators Come From? Unraveling the Mystery
Adult alligators look intimidating but they weren’t always like that. These reptiles started life as squishy eggs! A female alligator will build a nest in preparation for becoming a mother. She will use different vegetation, grass, and mud. Most gator nests are 3 ½ to 6 feet wide and up to 2 feet high. Mother gators can lay anywhere from 20 to 70 eggs. These are cylindrical. Alligator eggs are quite sturdy because they’re made up of two layers. The outer layer is hard like chicken eggs. The second layer is supple like leather. The hard shell becomes thinner as the baby alligator grows. It will become soft and squishy when it’s time for the gators to emerge. The tiny baby alligator will work hard to break out of its shell. It gets help from the egg tooth on its nose. Here are some interesting facts about alligators . Both baby gators and chicks have an egg tooth. It’s a little bony spike that helps hatchlings penetrate the eggshell from within. These tiny protrusions will disappea...