PALMDALE, Fla. - Thousands of baby gators will be hatching out of their eggs this month and you have the chance to hold them in your hand when they first arrive.  Gatorama is hosting the Hatching Festival for the eighth year, August 18th-27th. 

You can come and see the gators as they poke their snouts through the eggshell for the first time and then emerge as a smaller scale version of their adult parents.  For $10 (on top of your admission) you can even hold your own egg and watch the 7-9 inch baby hatch into your hands.

The eggs are collected in the wild through a partnership with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Gatorama actually pays the State of Florida $5.00 for every egg.  Then the eggs go into a 90 degree incumbator for 65 days before they are ready to hatch.

This year, Gatorama is also adding the "Baby Gator Roundup" where kids can pick up their own baby gator and get a great photo with one of the newborns.  You can also see how crafty you are by making a gator tooth necklace.

For more information on Gatorama and the Hatching Festival, go to Gatorama.com