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alligator

al·li·ga·tor

alligator

 
pronunciation:
ae lih geI tr
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition: a large reptile with short legs, a long body and tail, and a long, wide snout. Alligators are protected by thick skin with many hard bumps. They live in rivers, lakes, swamps, and other bodies of water in the southeast United States and in China. They usually eat insects, fish, turtles, snakes, birds, and other water animals, but have been known to attack small land mammals. They are closely related to crocodiles. Chinese alligators are endangered because their habitat is being changed by people.
 
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  dinosaur, endangered species, reptile