After mating with her favorite fellow, the female swims off to find a suitable nest site where the water level will not rise enough to drown her eggs. The temperature within the nest determines the sex of the hatchlings. The heat of decaying vegetation and a sunny location provide a steady temperature. Female gators defend the nests from hungry egg thieves such as raccoons. And even though red-bellied turtles are frequently gator snacks, they sneak by gator guardians to lay their eggs in the protected mound.
Crocodilian mothers provide the most parental care compared to any other reptiles.
Frightened hatchlings and youngsters use a distress call to alert the parent. Other adults in the neighborhood often respond to this vocalization as well. Raccoons, skunks, otters, turtles, fish, wading birds, and even large alligators eat hatchlings and small juveniles. Like other reptiles, crocodilians gather body heat from the environment by basking in the sun and lying on warm surfaces. Throughout the Everglades of South Florida gators muck out the grasses and mud to create pools for gator holes where water collects.