I am scaly and snappy, fierce and strong. I live in swamps and lakes. Who am I?

Opening with a simple riddle, this book, which is one of a series, shows a different part of a reptile's body - first the teeth, then the skin, the eye, and the claws and so on until the whole alligator is revealed.

Facts are given as clues to its identity, such as " I have 80 sharp teeth so strong that I can smash a bone" and "when I close my mouth my bottom teeth are hidden - which means I am not a crocodile".Illustrations show all aspects of an alligator's body, its young or hatchlings, its habitat which is usually a swamp or lake and a variety of swamp-living animals and birds.

North America is marked on a double-page spread world map and a set of questions are posed to reinforce the terms learned.

A glossary concludes the book.