Try not to get ‘swamped’ with these bite-sized facts about American alligators and their crocodilian cousins.
How long can an alligator hold its breath underwater?
A long time, especially if they’re hiding under the water’s surface and waiting for a prey animal to come by.
Bạn đang xem: How Long Can an Alligator Hold Its Breath? And Other Questions, Answered
Xem thêm : What is "Isoamyl Laurate" and what is its utility?
Alligators usually take a breath of air every 20 or 30 minutes. But some can hold their breath for up to 24 hours! Special adaptations give these amazing reptiles the ability to slow their heart rates to just 2 or 3 beats per minute, consuming the oxygen in their lungs at an incredibly slow rate.
What’s the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
Alligators and crocodiles are separated by millions of years of evolutionary history—but you wouldn’t know it by looking at them!
Xem thêm : Medical residency program plans to bring 18 family medicine doctors to Walton County
Here’s how you can tell the two species apart:
- Check their snout — Alligators have short, wide snouts with rounded, U-shaped ends. Crocodiles have long, thin snouts with pointy, V-shaped ends.
- Look for visible teeth — Alligators have a bit of an overbite, which means their top jaw sticks out more from their lower jaw. When their mouths are closed, the teeth of their upper jaws poke out—and they’re mostly pointing downward. But a crocodile’s jaws are about the same size. When its mouth is closed, you see teeth pointing both upward and downward.
- Observe your surroundings—Alligators can only live in freshwater areas like ponds, swamps and lakes. Crocodiles have special salt glands that allow them to tolerate not only freshwater environments, but brackish and saltwater areas, like bays and coastal estuaries.
- Don’t get too close! Alligators are generally thought of as being calmer and less aggressive than crocodiles. However, both can be unpredictable, especially when hungry. Keep a very wide berth if you come across either species in the wild.
How many types of alligator are there?
While there are eight species in the Alligatoridae family, there are only two species that are usually referred to as alligators: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator.
Chinese alligators are smaller on average than their American cousins; full-grown adults usually reach about 4 to 5 feet long. This species—the only member of the Alligatoridae family to live outside of the Americas—can be found in the lower Yangtze River region in eastern China. They are also highly endangered; as few as 150 to 300 individuals remain in the wild today.
Nguồn: https://buycookiesonline.eu
Danh mục: Info
