16 Alligator Coloring Pages
American alligators live in the freshwater swamps, rivers and marshes of the southeastern United States, especially Florida and Louisiana. They have broad, rounded snouts, which is one way to tell them from crocodiles, whose snouts are more pointed. Alligators can hold their breath underwater for a long time and help their wetlands by digging holes that hold water for other animals during dry spells. This set gives alligators a playful side. One wades in a swamp, one peeks out of a log and another rests in a tree hollow. Alligators perch on a stack of lily pads, a mushroom and a pile of rocks, hold an umbrella, wear boots, stand on their tails, point their snouts up and wave hello. Many pages are tall, which suits a long alligator body. Real alligators are dark olive, gray or nearly black with a creamy belly. Kids can draw bumpy ridges, called scutes, along the back before coloring. Green water and lily pads complete the swamp.
Plush style gators to a swamp scene
Cute Alligator Character is the simplest, a round front view gator with a striped belly and very thick outlines for ages 3 to 5. Cute Alligator stretches out in a long side view with rows of oval scale spots, which adds a bit more work. Alligator in Swamp is the only medium sheet, with rippling water, cattails, rocks and lily pads around the gator for kids around 5 to 8.
Alligator or crocodile, spot the snout
Use the pages for a quick reptile lesson. Real alligators have a wide, rounded U shaped snout, while crocodiles have a narrower pointed one. Kids can compare the snouts on Cute Alligator and Alligator in Swamp, then draw a crocodile snout on scrap paper to see the difference. Talk about how alligators live in freshwater swamps like the one shown, mostly in the southeastern United States.
