IMAGE OF THE DAY: Young American Alligator Hatchlings Take a Ride On Mom’s Back

By  //  January 3, 2017

average clutch size of an alligator nest is 38

The above American alligator family has the right idea as these young gators hang out on top of their mother at Sawgrass Lake Park.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA –  The above American alligator family has the right idea as these young gators hang out on top of their mother at Sawgrass Lake Park.

The average clutch size of an alligator nest is 38.

When the young begin to hatch, they emit a high-pitched croaking noise, and the female quickly digs them out. The tiny replicas of adult alligators, with a series of yellow bands around their bodies, then find their way to water.

For nests that survive predators and flooding, an estimated 24 live hatchlings will emerge.

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Only 10 alligator hatchlings will live to one year, and of these yearlings, eight will become sub-adults (four feet in length). The number of sub-adults that reach maturity (six feet in length) is approximately five.

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