Special adaptations allow alligators to be skilled hunters in their watery domain. Their eyes and nose are set high on the head so they can see and breathe while the rest of their body is hidden beneath the water's surface. The alligator's ears and nose close automatically when it submerges. A special throat valve allows alligators to feed while underwater without the risk of drowning. In addition, alligators have a large, muscular tail that helps propel them through the water.
Alligators are carnivores.
Alligator diets tend to change as the animal grows larger. Young alligators typically eat smaller prey such as snails, insects, frogs, and small fish. Larger animals prey on fish, snakes, waterbirds, turtles, and small mammals. While alligators are famous for their carnivorous eating habits, few people are aware of some of the interesting facts surrounding an alligator's start in life. The eggs are incubated for about two months by heat generated by the organic matter in the nest.