[cheerful music] - This is Brutus, the North American Alligator.

While you won't find alligators down in the pantanal in South America, they share a lot of similarities with the pantanal native, the caiman.

Just like the caiman, alligators are excellent hunters, relying on stealth to catch their food.

As they lie and float in the water, with just their eyes and nose sticking up above the surface, they'll use their powerful tail to slowly swim forward.

And if any prey gets too close, snap, a quick meal.

For caiman and alligator both, being a reptile means that they need to use the sun to stay warm.

Alligators and caimans have these large scales on their back, covering boney plates called osteoderms.

While they're swimming, these osteoderms work like solar panels, bouncing the heat from the sun, back and forth from across their body.

Now while you would think it would be dangerous to have a fierce predator like an alligator or a caiman around, we found that a lot of birds actually prefer it.

For some of the birds that nest up in the treetops, having an alligator or a caiman, is a great way to make sure that their eggs stay safe as well.

But how?

Alligators and caimans both make excellent parents.

And the mothers will build huge nests on the ground, and then patrol them to protect them from any predators.

While they're patrolling their own nests, it means that these alligators and caimans are also keeping predators away from some of those birds nests.

In South America, it means that those nests are safe from animals like the coati.

While here in the United States, those nests are safe from animals like raccoons.

Who knew it would be so helpful to have a fierce predator nearby?