to beat the night watches with drums (traditionally made of alligator skin); the term derives from the belief that the alligator’s nocturnal roar corresponds to the timing of the night watches

(literary) A drum covered with the skin of an alligator or lizard, known for its deep sound; used in ancient times for music and ritual

the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis), a large reptile native to China that lives in dens at the bottom of marshes