in summer, the female builds a nest of vegetation where the decomposition of the vegetation provides the heat needed to incubate the eggs. the sex of the offspring is determined by the temperature in the nest and is fixed within seven to 21 days of the start of incubation. incubation temperatures of or lower produce a clutch of females; those of or higher produce entirely males. nests constructed on leaves are hotter than those constructed on wet marsh, so the former tend to produce males and the latter, females. the baby alligator's egg tooth helps it get out of its egg during hatching time. the natural sex ratio at hatching is five females to one male. females hatched from eggs incubated at weigh significantly more than males hatched from eggs incubated at . the mother defends the nest from predators and assists the hatchlings to water. she will provide protection to the young for about a year if they remain in the area. adult alligators regularly cannibalize younger individuals, though estimates of the rate of cannibalism vary widely. in the past, immediately following the outlawing of alligator hunting, populations rebounded quickly due to the suppressed number of adults preying upon juveniles, increasing survival among the young alligators.