Editing Nest (section)

===Reptiles===

The [[American alligator]] is known for its parenting skills.  They build large nests of mud and vegetation on river banks or vegetation mats.  The female digs a hole in the center to lay her eggs, covers them, and then guards them for two months until they hatch. When eggs start to hatch, she breaks open the nest which has hardened over time and leads the young to the water where she continues to care for them for another year.  Alligators are very particular about their nesting sites and will abandon a site if things go wrong.<ref name=SDNMH />

[[Cobra]]s use leaves and other debris to build nests in which they lay eggs that both sexes guard.  They carry the vegetation to the nest site by kinking their necks.<ref name=Britannica />  [[Sea turtle]]s dig a hole in the sand above the high tide line in which they lay their eggs.  They then cover the soft eggs to protect them from the sun and predators and leave.<ref name=SDNMH />