Do baby alligators really call their mothers the way birds do?
A. Most biologists consider birds to be the closest relatives of alligators and crocodiles evolutionarily, and many similarities between the groups are apparent. Not only do baby alligators call their mothers, they start doing so before they even leave the nest. Mother alligators lay their eggs on land inside large mounds they build of dirt and vegetation. At the time of hatching, the babies begin making yelping sounds that attract the mother to the nest. She digs into the nest, opens eggs with her teeth if necessary to let babies free, and will even carry the young to the water in her mouth. Once in the water, baby alligators stay in the vicinity of their mother and when one feels threatened, it will make gulping or yelping sounds that can be heard several feet away. A mother alligator will defend her nest and young from predators, and will investigate when she hears a baby in distress. She will attack another animal, including a person, who appears to be a threat to her babies. Q. Do
