Alligators have existed since the age of the dinosaurs and are found only in the southeastern United States, where American alligators live in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, swamps, and bayous, often showing only their eyes, heads, or mouths above the water's surface. Adult alligators have virtually no predators except man, and as human population growth and development reduce natural areas, people face the challenge of remembering that they share the land with wildlife. Alligators are a natural part of Louisiana native habitat, and by observing them from a respectful distance, people and alligators can continue to coexist peacefully. Alligators feed mainly on fish, turtles, snakes, birds, and small mammals. Their nests are built from mounds of decaying vegetation up to 3 feet high and several feet across, and females lay 30-50 hard-shelled eggs 2-3 inches long in the center, which hatch in about 65 days. If eggs and young do not fall prey to raccoons, skunks, and other predators, young alligators stay together in a group, or pod, for the first year or more.