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The American alligator lays 20 to 50 white eggs, about the size of a goose egg. The female covers them with decaying vegetation, which produces heats needed for incubation. The temperature at which American alligator eggs develop determines their sex. Those eggs which are hatched at a temperature of 34 °C (93 °F) or more become males, while those at a temperature of 32 °C (86 °F) or lower become female. In general, the nests built on levees are warmer and thus produce males, while the cooler nests of wet marsh produce females.

The female remains near the nest throughout the 65 day incubation period, protecting it from predators. When the young begin to hatch the mother digs them out and carries the hatchlings to the water in her mouth. But the calling alligator hatchlings also attack possible predators as well as other female alligators. If a female has lost her nest to predation, flooding etc., in such case the female might try to take over the nest of another female alligator. Such confrontations can end with the death of the weaker alligator but for the most part the younger and less experienced female will be simply chased away.

The hatching of American alligators can last for days and the hatchlings have to make use of their sharp egg tooth to cut through the hard egg shell. Eventually, the egg shell becomes bridle and brakes apart due to the hatchling’s constant scratching. This is truly an exhausting task for any baby alligator. Hence, the hatchlings take periodically naps to regain new energy before braking through the shell. American alligator mothers protecting hatchlings was filmed by Heiko Kiera in 2017. The stock footage is available at www.Ojatrovisuals.com

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