How to Find the Gender of a Baby Alligator

Baby alligators hatch from their eggs snapping and biting. Newly hatched alligators are approximately 6 to 8 inches long; as adults they may eventually grow up to 15 feet long. They're black or greenish-black, and they have pale yellow streaks along their sides. Their eyes face outward on their broad heads, and their long snouts turn up slightly at the nostrils. All the babies from one nest share the same color markings.

In July or August, the female alligator builds a 10-foot-diameter nest of marsh vegetation. She lays 20 to 30 eggs in the center, piling the vegetation three feet high. The composting matter generates the necessary heat for incubation. Baby alligators hatch in about 60 days. Males will hatch from nests that maintain temperatures of 93 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and females will emerge from eggs kept at 86 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Nests incubating between these temperatures may contain both sexes.

A professional can determine the gender of a very small baby alligator, 6 to 10 inches long. One method is to place the creature on its back and hold open his vent with round-tipped tweezers or forceps, with a helper's assistance. Using an illuminated magnifying glass, he can examine the sex organs located inside the cloaca. The male's sex organs completely fill the cavity, and the female's sex organs are about half as large.

You can determine the gender of juvenile alligators measuring less than 30 inches long with a similar method. A helper must hold the juvenile. On a flat surface, lay the alligator on its back. Bend the tail upward while using your thumb and forefinger to apply gentle pressure below the pubic bones, located at the cloaca. If the juvenile is a male, a penis will protrude from the vent.