THE ALLIGATORSAlligators are relatives of the crocodiles but have a broader snout and lack the side notch that exposes the long fourth tooth of the lower jaw. The female American Alligator prepares a nest on the bank of a pond, lays dozens of eggs in it, and covers them with mud. The eggs are then incubated by the heat of the sun and will hatch in a couple of months. The baby alligators will call when hatched, and the mother alligator then carries them in her mouth to the pond. The male alligator is renowned for its intimidating bellow (click to listen). The largest recorded length for an American Alligator is 19' 2", killed in the early 1900's in the state of Louisiana. Since the belly skin of alligators lacks the bony plates typical of crocodile skin, it can be worked to form superior leather for shoes, belts, and handbags which has made the alligator a prime target for hide hunters. Unfortunately it has also made large specimens rare. Only recently has the American alligator been removed from the endangered list.