Why do alligators eat rocks?! Scientists have long thought alligators gobble stones for the same reason as birds...to aid in digestion. But new research indicates they eat rocks to increase time under water! According to an article in 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 by Jake Beuhler published 1 Feb 2019: "The stones—which were only about 2.5% of the alligators' body weight—seemed to make a significant difference, increasing dive time by an average of 88% and up to 35 minutes" Not to bad for a dinosaur, eh? Payne