Lots of teeth, tough as leather, loaded with attitude – not the description of someone you want to meet in a dark alley! But that is just how our thick-skinned friend the alligator goes through life. The official state reptile for Florida alligator males can tip the scales at half a ton. These monsters have no natural predators outside of man with the biggest threat to their existence being destruction of their habitat.
How about a few Far Out Facts for our scaly friends:
3000 Pound-per-Square-Inch crushing pressure in their toothy jaws- Fast for short bursts of speed, rumored capable of outrunning a horse for 30 feet
- Alligators can go through 2000 to 3000 teeth over the course of their lifetime
- Can hold their breath for up to two hours under water where they lay in wait for unsuspecting prey
- Can go up to one YEAR without eating
- Powerful acid in their stomach enables them to dissolve bone
If you are in the swamps or strolling the southern latitude, remember to watch where you step. They have been a successful predator for more than 200 million years and know how to use those teeth to their advantage.