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Here are some more pictures of our gators, interesting facts and some fun links to take to find out more about alligators.
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OLD TIMERS
Alligators are reptiles and date back l50 million years with no significant changes.
WE'RE COOOLD BLOODED
Alligators are exothermic (cold blooded) which means they don't have a set core temperature. Their body temperature may change according to the surrounding temperature. For example, when the temperature is in the 80's or higher, alligators are much more active. When the temperature increases the alligators metabolism increases as well, therefore needing more food and oxygen when it is hot than when it's cold.
LAZY GATORS
An alligator may eat as little as 12 times a year in the wild. The ability to eat so little and yet survive is due to a low metabolic rate as well as the ability to convert up to 60% of what they eat into fat, which is stored energy. This accompanied by the fact that an alligator may spend all day, if undisturbed, in one location, without moving a single muscle. This allows it to conserve as much energy as possible.
JUST CHILLIN'
It has been determined that a stout alligator may survive many years without any food if placed in a 52 degree F. environment.
WE ARE FAMILY
Alligators are a member of Crocodilian family which contain Alligators, Crocodiles, Caimans, and Gavials. |
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THAT'S NO BULL
The male alligator called a bull may reach the length of l4 feet and weigh well over l,000 lbs. The female or sow is considerably smaller reaching 9 feet and several hundred pounds. |
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NOT SO FAST
Legend has it that alligator can out run a quarter horse for 50 yards. The reality is that alligators aren't all that fast on land after all. They in fact only reach the top speed of approximately 13 mph. Indeed a healthy human can out run them. However, they are much faster in the water reaching speeds of 25 mph.
GATORS GALORE
In the early 1960 alligators were hunted to near extinction. The hide of the animal is one of the finest leathers known to man. The meat is considered a delicacy in many restaurants. Due to tough legislation alligators have made one of the most successful come backs in history. Today there are over one million alligators in the wild in the State of Florida alone. There are more than that many on alligator farms in this state as well. |
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ALL BARK NO BITE
Alligators are not considered to be man-eaters with less than 5 or 6 legitimate attacks against humans annually. One would be smarter to be more worried about jogging around the block in fear of neighborhood dogs than to worry about being attacked by an alligator while fishing or swimming in Florida waterways. However, there are several conditions that may provoke an attack. |
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| The first, being a female guarding her nest of eggs or young. The second, is when a male gator reaches approximately 8 feet in length, it becomes territorial and may attack to guard its territory against intruders. Finally, an alligator accustomed to humans offering it food will lose its natural fear of humans and become much more dangerous. It is illegal to feed wild gators for this reason. |
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LOOK MOM NO GILLS
Alligators are air breathers. While underwater they must hold their breath. They also have the unique ability to cut off circulation of oxygenated blood to less important body parts such as the feet, stomach, and tail. This, combined with their low metabolic rate, allows large gators to stay submerged for hours on one breath of air.
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IT'S A BOY
Alligators have the ability to produce male or female offspring at will. This act of nature is called temperature dependent sex determination and is found in certain species of reptiles. An alligator egg has a 60 day incubation period. If the average temperature of the egg is 89-90 degrees F. all the hatchlings are born male. If the average temperature drops to 82-83 degrees F. all the hatchlings are born female. Therefore, by placing her nest either in a sunny location or a shady one, the female gator can produce the gender that is needed for a particular area.
I'M A BIG BOY NOW
Alligators reach maturity at a certain length not age. By standard a baby gator will grow about 1 foot per year for the first several years of its life. Although reptiles continue to grow until the day they die, the rate of growth slows down as they increase in size.
NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH
Baby gators are born with 80 sharp little teeth that grows as the gator grows. The teeth are hollow and often break. Larger teeth usually have a smaller tooth growing underneath them that will eventually take the place of the larger teeth. Alligators may go through several hundred teeth in their lifetime. |
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Some Fun and Interesting Gator Links
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