I am frequently asked how long an alligator can hold its breath. The answer is quite surprising. American Alligators can hold their breath on a nice warm day for about 20 minutes. However, the colder they get the longer they can hold their breath. They stop using energy for things like digestion and focus on survival, slowing their heartrate and breathing. Some alligators in North Carolina experience real freezing temperatures. When they are really cold an alligator may only need to take a breath once every two days.

Alligators seem to understand when water is approaching freezing and they will submerge their bodies in the cold water, but leave their nostrils sticking out. Many alligator noses have been found sticking out of frozen lakes within the colder parts of their range.

This apparently is true of the Chinese Alligator as well.