Holding Hands with an Alligator

American Alligator hand and claws
Close up of a researcher holding an American Alligator’s front foot showing the scales and claws; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. April 15, 2023 ©williamwisephoto.com

Have you ever held hands with an alligator? If you have, you’d know that the American Alligator has five toes on each of its front feet and four toes on each of its rear feet. The four toes on the hind feet are webbed to help them swim effectively. Alligators also have long, strong claws on their feet to help them dig “gator holes” and to rip underwater trails through submerged vegetation. Female alligators also dig nests and build large mounds over them to protect and incubate the eggs.

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