Alligators reproduce by the male attracting a female with vocalization and mounting the female, resulting in fertilization of the female’s egg. Mating for the alligator takes place in May, and up to 90 eggs are laid within a few months.
The female alligator lays the eggs in a nest of vegetation where they incubate for about 65 days. The nest’s temperature determines the offspring’s gender. A warm nest will produce all male alligators, and a nest below 86 degrees Fahrenheit will produce all females. The alligator’s are about 6 to 8 inches in length after hatching and will grow 1 foot a year until fully grown, at about 6 years old.
