rcpilz@ablnc.ATT.COM (Robert C. Pilz) (01/10/89)
Our Indian Guide tribe recently took an outing to an alligator farm in Christmas Florida. Part of the tour was a video about Crocodilian reptiles around the world. What was interesting in the video was that only until recently have scientists really learned about these creatures. The recent research is due to the fact that these reptiles in almost all forms are becoming extinct around the globe. An interesting part showed how a mother listened for her babies' croaking in their eggs. At that point, she would dig them up and even roll the eggs in her mouth to gently crack them. As the babies emerged, she would ever so gently scoop them up, 6 or so at a time, in her mouth and carry them to the river. Prior to this discovery, it was thought that the babies clung to the mama's scales on her back. (A few actually do.) The big deal is that an animal with a jaw that is capable of closing at over 3,000 LBS can be so gentle and accurate. The comparative sizes of the adult to baby also make this accuracy so amazing. This brings researchers to look at the touch sensors in the mouth, etc. One fact that they put in the video that I later that day found wrong was a statement that the alligator uses his powerful tail to trip up small prey on land. Later that day, we went to Fort Christmas, were a professional alligator trapper had a video of some of his latest catches. When I saw a part on the video that had shown a gator swishing his tail. I mentioned to them of the other video. They said it is more important to know that the tail swiping is a motion to get food to the alligator's mouth. Sure enough, when the alligator swings its tail, on land, its mouth opens to grab whatever the tail has brought with it. It is a small detail to clear up, and a significant one if one is to trap an alligator or know what to avoid. The future for the alligator in Florida is a bright one. (Pun intended) There are annual permits for hunters kill 3,000 alligators. This is due to an OVER-ABUNDANCE of these reptiles. In the wild, they grow about a foot a year, up to about 12 feet long. On an alligator farm, were they are raised for hides and meat, they grow 3 feet a year and are used when they are 6 feet long. What researchers want to find out is why they thrive so well in Lake Jessup. In that lake, they get to be about 16 feet long and grow at a rate of 2 feet a year. The largest population of alligators in Florida, (and therefore the world,) is Lake Jessup. Not a great place for a canoe trip :-)