For millions of years since the age of the dinosaurs, the alligator has remained virtually unchanged.

These apex predators are at the top of their food chain, but as fierce as they appear, they also reveal a gentler side.

Yet much about them remains a mystery.

To uncover these questions, researchers have carried out the longest running crocodilian study in the world, taking place here in the Palmetto State.

Throughout the decades, their research has taken to new heights and continues to shed light on the hidden lives of these ancient reptiles in the wild.

Of the 26 species of crocodilians in the world, there are only two alligators, the American and the critically endangered Chinese alligator.

The American alligator is the larger of the two, capable of reaching lengths of up to nearly 15 feet and weighing as much as 1,000 pounds.

As opportunistic feeders, alligators will take what their environment offers.

Yet these animals are more than predators, they are ecosystem engineers shaping the very wetlands they inhabit.

Over the years, their powerful jaws and claws carve out gator holes that hold water long after surrounding areas have dried, creating vital refuges for fish, amphibians and countless other species.

Even their dens in this provides shelter and resources for wildlife, underscoring their critical role in sustaining healthy ecosystems.

After mating in late spring, female alligators retreat to secluded, vegetated areas near the water's edge to begin the laborious task of nest building.

Using mud sticks and grasses, they create large mounds that may take weeks to complete.

Within these nest, a mother deposits 40 to 60 eggs.

Incubation last around 65 days.

During this incubation period, the females will linger close by, sometimes crawling over the nest after summer rains or waiting in what biologists call a guard hole, a shallow pool dug near the nest that allows her to remain watchful while concealed in the water.

When the time comes, her young crawl out from within their shells, summoning her to the nest.

With remarkable delicacy, she gently uncovers the eggs and carries hatchlings to the safety of the water.

Over the course of a night, she'll make dozens of trips shuttling her offspring even until daybreak, ensuring they are given their best chance at survival.

Since 1979, biologists working at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center have carried out a comprehensive alligator research program focusing on growth, reproduction and population dynamics.

Clemson University later joined the efforts in the research program in 2015.

Yawkey itself is a 24,000 acre preserve managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, where decades of study have unlocked new insights into these ancient reptiles.

Fieldwork here ranges from capturing and tagging alligators to collecting blood samples and biometric data.

Among the most captivating studies is their work on nesting behavior, and particularly what factors influenced nest attendance by alligator mothers.

To begin the study, the first challenge is locating the nest, and the most effective way to find them is from the sky.

DNR staff board a helicopter to complete surveys over the island, tagging nests with GPS coordinates.

On the ground, Clemson biologists follow these coordinates, sometimes deploying drones to pinpoint exact locations.

Once the nest is found and deemed active, eggs are carefully counted, marked with ID numbers, and in some cases eggs are taken to the Savannah River Ecology Lab, where they are hatched in captivity to study how incubation, temperature, and other factors influence alligator size, behavior, and survival.

Then, game cameras are positioned at each nest, programed to take one photograph every minute, creating a continuous record of the mother's behavior day and night.

Over the nesting season, millions of photographs are collected, providing an extraordinary window into what influences nest attendance.

What biologists have discovered is that most attendance by mothers occurs during the first week of the eggs being laid, at the time of hatchling emergence, shortly after rainfall, at night, and when the nests were closer to the water.

These insights not only deepened appreciation for a species that is misunderstood, but also provide the foundation needed to guide conservation strategies for these remarkable animals in the wild.