THE ALLIGATOR'S LIFE HISTORY 87 



will still defend their nests and young. As soon as the 

 young are hatched, they are led by the mother to her den, 

 which is usually in a secluded pool in the wet prairie or at 

 the head of some small bayou. The young remain with, 

 and are guarded by, the mother from the time of hatching 

 all through the Winter, and until the next spring's mating 

 period. At this time the female wanders off in search of 

 a mate, and the young, being then about sixteen or eighteen 

 inches in length and well able to take care of themselves, 

 spread over the surrounding marshes and bayous. I have 

 known young alligators, who had been toe-marked for iden- 

 tification, to leave their mother in the Spring during April 

 and wander more than a mile to inland ponds in a com- 

 paratively few days after leaving the home den. 



Large male alligators are very intolerant of the near ap- 

 proach to the place in which they live, of other large males, 

 and I think most of the roaring they do is for the purpose 

 of warning away any other who might invade their range. 

 The males fight each other fiercely and it is not uncommon 

 to find large males with a foot or leg missing, or a con- 

 siderable section of its tail gone, or severe scars on its body, 

 which could only be made by other alligators. I have often 

 seen them fighting. They fight only with their mouths, and 

 the only use they make of their tails during a fight is to use 

 it as a lever to get their mouths in better position for biting, 

 or to help them to roll after a jaw-hold has been secured. 

 Sometimes they lock jaws and try their best to twist off 

 each others head by turning over and over sideways as fast 

 as they can. If a hold is gotten on a leg or tail the roll 

 is immediately started with the usual result that the mem- 

 ber grasped is twisted off. 



In snapping at a rival, or anything, if the object is missed, 

 the jaws come together with such a force that a loud sound 

 is made, as if two heavy planks had been slapped together. 



