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You are here: Home / Animals / How does an Alligator Chew its Food and How does it Digest Prey it has Swallowed Whole?

How does an Alligator Chew its Food and How does it Digest Prey it has Swallowed Whole?

March 11, 2020 by Karen Hill

An alligator chews its food only to break the food up into pieces it can swallow.

alligator resting

Although the alligator sports very strong jaws and teeth sharp enough to crush bones and other hard matter, it prefers prey it can swallow whole.

Inside the alligator’s belly are small pebbles it has swallowed that help grind up the food.

What it can’t swallow whole or break into smaller pieces, it will sometimes let sit and decay for a while until it can be broken up for consumption.

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Filed Under: Animals

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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Next Post: How Loud is an Alligator when it Bellows and why do they make that Sound? »

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