Newborn alligators, like their eggs, are the smallest of any crocodilian, with a length of and weight of . Unlike adults, they have light speckles on their bodies and heads. Mothers help them leave the nest and bring them to the water after hatching. They grow very little in their first year, due to being able to feed for only about 2 months after hatching before the winter. A 2002 study showed that the Chinese alligator is two-thirds the length of the American alligator and one-half its weight at birth, but is one-half its length and one-tenth its weight after one year. Young depend on their mothers to protect them during their first winter, as their small size makes them an easy prey target.