Alligators live in slow rivers, lakes, marshes and swamps. They are amazing swimmers, pushing themselves through the water with their long, powerful tails. On land they look slow - but they can sprint short distances on land much faster than you'd expect.
A grown-up alligator can be over 4 metres long - about the length of a small car. They have around 80 teeth in their mouth at any time, and if they lose a tooth, a new one grows in to replace it. Over a lifetime an alligator can grow and lose thousands of teeth.
Baby alligators hatch from eggs. The mother builds a nest of leaves and grass, lays around 30 to 50 eggs, and stays close by to guard them. When the babies are about to hatch, they squeak from inside their shells, and the mother gently helps them out. She then carries the tiny babies, one by one, in her mouth to the water.
Alligators were nearly lost in the 1960s. Today, thanks to protection laws, there are over a million of them living wild again. In the Everglades National Park in Florida, you can see alligators sunning themselves on river banks and floating with just their eyes and nose above the water.