Generally laid at night, mating typically produces 20–30 eggs, although according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), clutch size ranges between 10 and 40 eggs. After the eggs are laid, the females sometimes leave the nest, but other times stay to protect the eggs. The eggs are about in length, in diameter, and in weight, making them smaller than the eggs of any other crocodilian. They are typically incubated for about 70 days. On average, the temperature of incubation is , including the day and night. This temperature controls whether a young alligator will be male or female (temperature-dependent sex determination), a feature present in many other reptiles. A higher incubation temperature also increases the hatching rate. Young hatch in September, assisted by their mothers.