In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw an Alligator in 8 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Alligator.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw an Alligator - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Let's draw an alligator! Draw the back by tracing a small hump then a short line for the beginning of the neck.
Step 2: Continue to trace so that you make a slope for the head. Start an oval-like shape for the mouth and trace a line across the middle. Then continue to trace along the bottom for the throat.
Step 3: Now, draw a small dot above the mouth for the eye.
Step 4: From the throat, draw a thick, L-shaped arm. Keep the top open and add little claws at the end!
Step 5: Trace a line across the bottom for the belly.
Step 6: Next, draw the hind leg like a thick L-shape also and this time you can close the top! Don't forget those small claws!
Step 7: From the hind leg, trace a short line to finish the shape of the body. Now, draw a long tube-like shape for the tail of your alligator, making sure that the end is pointy.
Step 8: Last, add scales by drawing small triangular shapes along the alligator's tail and back. There's your alligator! Did you know that an alligator cannot move its tongue? It has to lift its head in the air to help the food go down its throat.
Interesting Facts about Alligators
Alligators are reptiles. Reptiles are hatched from eggs, are coldblooded, and have scales or bony protective covers. Alligators have scales. They have been around for 37 million years. There are two living species of alligators, the American alligator and the Chinese alligator. All of the other species are now extinct. The lifespan of the alligator is unknown, but a few have been known to live past 70 years.
Did you know?
- American alligators live in the southern United States, specifically in Florida and Louisiana. They are also found in the eastern part of Texas, and in certain areas of Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. Chinese alligators live Yangtze River of China, and they are an endangered species.
- On average, alligators grow to be about 6 feet long.
- If an alligator egg has a warm temperature, then alligator is a male. An egg with a cooler temperature hatches a female alligator.
- An alligator cannot move its tongue. When it wants to swallow its food, it must raise its head up in the air to help the food go down its throat.
Humans raise alligators, and they use their skin to make purses and shoes. Alligators are also eaten by humans. Swamps where alligators live are popular tourist attractions in America.
How To Draw An Alligator – Step-by-Step Tutorial