Scientists consider alligators a "keystone species"?the most important animal in their habitat. Without the alligator, many animals dependent on the gator would become extinct. Read and find out about how alligators are much more than big jaws and sharp teeth!

Anne Rockwell is a pioneer in the field of nonfiction for very young children. She has more than a hundred books to her credit, including Why Are the Ice Caps Melting? and Clouds in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.