Extraordinary creatures: American alligators

In the swamps of the southeastern USA lurks an animal that survived the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. Growing to sizes approaching 5 m and weighing up to 450 kg, the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is one of the most recognisable reptiles on the planet. These relatively calm crocodilians have one of the strongest bites in the animal kingdom, able to crush a turtle shell with a single bite, but gentle enough to ferry their offspring around without any harm. Potentially living over 100 years in captivity, American alligators were hunted to near extinction, but have bounced back thanks to conservation laws and ranching initiatives starting in the 1960s. John Eme tells Journal of Experimental Biology about the amazing biology of these extraordinary reptiles from their unique hearts and lungs to their incredible levels of parental care.