An American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) swims in a large pond, some of the deepest water in the Florida Everglades where the average water depth is just six inches. The skin on the back of the alligator is made up of boney plates, called scutes. The large bumps are used to retain heat. Alligators, at the top of the Everglades' food chain, depend on the wetlands and dig large holes to store water through the dry season. These holes are shared with fish and other Everglades wildlife, which become food.