Walking around Darth Gator is always makes me feel younger because these guys are basically living fossil😳🐊 American alligators have been around for millions of years and their bodies are built almost perfectly for survival🙌 From the armored scutes along their back to that massive muscular tail that powers them through the water, every part of them has a purpose👀 That tail alone does most of the swimming while their webbed feet help steer, and those eyes and nostrils sit on top of their head so they can see and breathe while the rest of their body stays hidden beneath the surface🤯 They also have a third eyelid called a nictitating membrane that acts like built in goggles, protecting their eyes underwater while still letting them see clearly😎 Alligators grow their entire lives, sometimes reaching over 13 feet in length, and males will continue bulking up as they age😳 In the wild they are opportunistic predators, meaning they’ll eat fish, birds, mammals, and pretty much anything they can overpower, but they are also incredibly patient, often lying still for long periods waiting for the perfect moment to strike🙌 Even the temperature of the nest determines whether baby gators hatch male or female which just shows how wild nature really is🤯 Being able to walk around an animal like this up close is unreal because you’re looking at a creature whose design has barely changed since the age of dinosaurs🔥🐊 - @jayprehistoricpets