Animal Diaries Archive

Our baby alligators are growing up!

8 August 2008

Here at Australia Zoo we have the privilege of working with baby American Alligators. Our proud parents Barney and Fang-2 have proven to be very successful breeders. They have had five clutches of eggs over the past six years with approximately 20 baby alligators in each. We have the advantage of removing the eggs from the mothers nest to incubate the eggs to give them the best chance of survival. Did you know that the temperature of the incubator (or the nest in the wild) actually determines the sex of the baby alligator? This is how we are able to produce more male then female alligators. The adult male Alligator can reach lengths of 3.5m once they are fully grown; at about 20 years of age.

When the alligators are six weeks old, the Croc team consistently handles them for weights, I.D checks and hand feeding. This gets the alligators used to handling and comfortable with human interaction. When they are this young they can fit in the palm of your hand!

Then once they are about three months old, the roving team can take them out for 10 minute roves in the Zoo for public to meet! As they get older they become conditioned to human interaction and are even able to be held by guests for photos!

So next time your at the Zoo make sure you check out our beautiful adult American Alligators and their handsome baby boy’s!