My wife and I have visited Big Cypress National Preserve several times recently where alligators are seemingly everywhere. Summer rains have come early this year and the dips in the narrow dirt roads are full of water. We found a litter of 'gators in the water ajacent to the road but about a half a dozen of the little critters insist on staying in the puddle on the road. So every time I drive the track I've had to coax, catch, and prod the little guys out of the way. Of course its great fun for me! They are fat and as cute as can be! Momma gator watches but doesn't seem to get upset even when they grunt.
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Puddles and Alligators
tedn
May 29, 2003 04:57 PM
Replies (5)
Bill Moss
May 29, 2003 10:25 PM
Those youngsters would be almost yearlings at this stage. Momma may not be as protective of them at this age.
Bill
tedn
May 31, 2003 09:59 AM
No, I don't think they are more than few months old. The mother was watching the procedure but showed no aggression. Incidentally she was quite small...I would estimate about 5 and a half feet. Babies were about a foot long.
Bill Moss
May 31, 2003 01:06 PM
Alligators breed in May with hatchlings emerging from August to early September. The hatchlings don't grow much during the late fall,winter,early spring months due to the temperatures not allowing them to reach preferred body temperatures. Even though they may seem small, they are at minimum. last years hatchlings.
Bill
Crocs4Me
Jun 01, 2003 11:12 AM
Thats very true..Although, Down here in south florida it has been an unusually "Hot" winter down here and I've seen instants where the gators get fooled into believing it's that time of year because of the hot temps...I mean it was in the mid 80's here in feb..."I know, You northern people who froze your butts off hate us"..lol..So I'm not sure where this gentleman saw the babies but it is very possible if the temps were right that some gators bred early this year..I've seen it happen although unusual so I say nothing is impossible when it comes to crocs anymore.
Bill Moss
Jun 01, 2003 09:28 PM
Even if there were unusually warm temps this winter, the eggs would have to incubate in the 80's F for ~60 days to have a successful hatch. The temps would have to be consistantly warm, both day and night for that to happen. I would be very interested to read any documentation of breeding, nesting, and hatching that early in the year. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it could not possibly happen, I've just never read any accounts of it.
Bill
