Alligator Snouts and Teeth: teacher key

American Alligators, grade 2 edition, written for 2nd grade. An alligator and a crocodile have different snouts and teeth. An alligator is big, eats fish, turtles and birds, and its mother builds a nest.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What are the bony plates on an alligator's skin called?
   • Scutes (answer)
   • Shells
   • Spots
2. What sticks out when a crocodile shuts its mouth?
   • Its tongue
   • Nothing at all
   • Big teeth (answer)
3. How many teeth can an alligator go through in its life?
   • 30
   • 3,000 (answer)
   • 3
4. What does an alligator eat?
   • Fish, turtles and birds (answer)
   • Only grass
   • Only mud
5. What does bask mean here?
   • Hide in the mud
   • Dig a nest
   • Rest in the sun to warm up (answer)
6. Alligators live in fresh water. Where might one live?
   • In the dry desert
   • In a slow river (answer)
   • On a snowy hill

Words

• scutes: bony plates
• bask: rest in sun