It snaps furiously at gorilla (9)

I believe the answer is:

alligator

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'it snaps' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'furiously at gorilla' is the wordplay.
'furiously' indicates anagramming the letters (the letters move around energetically or furiously).
'at'+'gorilla'='atgorilla'
'atgorilla' is an anagram of 'ALLIGATOR'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for alligator that I've seen before include "beast to be seen in due course?" , "Vicious attacker" , "Long-jawed reptile" , "Fierce reptile" , "River creature" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.