THE ANIMAL FILES

American alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

A predator can also reshape a wetland.

American alligators change their prey as jaws and teeth develop. They also excavate alligator holes that retain water for other wetland organisms during dry periods. Mothers guard groups of young.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
American alligator
Image: User:Postdlf · Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Growing jaws
Teeth and snout change with development[1]
Landscape effect
Excavated holes can retain water[1]
Young
Mother-guarded groups use contact calls[1]

Growth changes a feeding tool

Juveniles have relatively narrow snouts and fine teeth; older animals develop more robust jaws and teeth. The source connects this with a shift from smaller prey toward larger food items. Comparing a juvenile with an adult therefore means comparing functional stages, not merely scaling up an unchanged mouth.[1]

A hole with other inhabitants

Excavated alligator holes can hold water when the surrounding wetland dries. Other aquatic organisms use these remaining pools as refuges. Raised material around excavations also changes local surfaces. This is why an ecological account follows the effects of digging beyond the alligator itself: one behavior can alter opportunities for several other species.[1]

Youngsters keep in touch

Hatchlings can gather in groups guarded by their mother and use distinctive calls to remain in contact. They feed on small animals and are also vulnerable to larger predators. Care and danger coexist: maternal guarding does not make every youngster invulnerable or turn juvenile food requirements into adult ones.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Is every ecological effect caused by what it eats?

No. Excavation changes water retention and shelter. Physical modification is another route by which an animal affects its community.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why might fish gather in a pool made by a predator?

Reveal the explanation

During dry periods that pool can retain water when nearby areas do not. A useful refuge can still contain predation risk; benefits and dangers are not mutually exclusive.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Alligator mississippiensis (adapted and translated; exact revision)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Alligator mississippiensis (identity and game lineage)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

Chinese alligatorUnderground rooms and low calls shape this alligator’s life.Alligator sinensis ↗Spectacled caimanIts spectacles are bone, not a change in eyesight.Caiman crocodilus ↗Broad-snouted caimanA broad snout accompanies a changing menu.Caiman latirostris ↗