Alligator facts, Reggie the Alligator, Toothy Mouth Rodent Eater

Alligators are giant predators of water with strong teeth and might jaws that can kills their prey within minutes. Lets find out these aggressive reptiles facts one by one.

“The Lizard”

The name “alligator” is Spanish in origin. It comes from this (el lagarto) word which means “the lizard.” You may have heard them called “gators ” as well. This shortening started seeing usage around the 1840s.

See You Later alligator”

Supposedly, the phrase “see you later, originated in the early 1950s as a catchphrase used by teenagers in the United States. Later, Bobby Charles wrote a song in 1955 called ‘Later, Alligator,’ that was renamed to ‘See You Later, Alligator’ to capitalize on the popularity of the phrase.

Reggie the Alligator

A famous alligator from LA is known as Reggie. He was illegally released into a lake and remained there for more than a year, drawing a crowd and avoiding capture. Even Steve Irwin was scheduled to come and film Reggie, though the Crocodile Hunter sadly died before he had the opportunity.

Rodent Eater

Alligators are relatively well known for their use by humans as a source of leather, however they’re also often used in the control of rodent populations! Apparently, they’ve also been used as a means for transportation, although we wouldn’t recommend this.

Mississippi

The American alligator is also known as the Florida Alligator, the Louisana Alligator, and the Mississippi Alligator. Technically speaking, their scientific name alludes to the place they were first identified by science: Mississippi. The Chinese alligator, the only other alligator

Sinae

Sinae species alive as of this recording, also gets its scientific name from where it was first identified: China; however, the name itself may not seem that way to the untrained eye. This Latin prefix (sin) refers to China which comes from the Greek and Roman name for the people who lived there (Sinae). Baby alligators chirp to alert their mother to danger.

Alligator Sounds

Here’s what they sound like: (chirping audio). Alligator moms are super protective of their kids, but this chirping doesn’t just happen after they hatch. Baby alligators start chirping inside their eggs so their mom knows they’re ready to hatch!

Reptiles with Voices

Alligators aren’t the only vocal baby reptiles either. Crocodiles, their close relatives, also make similar noises before and upon hatching. Even baby sea turtles sing to each other before they hatch to make sure they all hatch around the same time!

Cat-like Reptile

Alligators are like cats! These reptiles have got five toes front feet and they have four toes on their backside feet at least on average. Both cats and gators can be polydactyl meaning they can sport extra toes! And, of course, they can lose toes in fights. At any given time, an alligator can have up to 80 teeth in its mouth.

Toothy Mouth

As they use their teeth for chomping, they break and wear out and these are then replaced. Over the course of its lifetime, an alligator can go through thousands of teeth! You’ve also probably heard that alligators come in two living species and can eat deer.