Gator pics, lots of gator pics.

[Ozzy]

It has been my mission for a long time to get some good pics of wild alligators. Today I succeeded.

I had planned to kayak in a lake that was said to be full of alligators. As I showed up I saw a group of people throwing food into the lake. That's not only illegal but it is highly dangerous. It causes the alligators to not only lose their fear of humans but to associate them with food. That is when attacks happen. There was also signs saying no trespassing. So I decided not to go kayaking but since the alligators had little fear of humans I used that to get very close to them.

I got within 5 ft of some of them. They ranged from about 3ft to around 10ft.

Notice the fish. There was fish all around the gators.

 

[Ozzy]

 

[Ozzy]

 

[Ozzy]

 

[PlantAKiss]

Some of them look like they are smiling. Probably hoping you would fall into the water.

They look very prehistoric with those big scaley things.

 

[xvart]

Awesome! Great up close and personal pictures. So were the 3ft. ones in a different area than the 10ft. gators? The only real knowledge I have of gators is what I learned this week in NO on my swap tour and I was told that gators won't play in the big kids area until they are at least 5ft long (~5 years old) because the larger ones will eat the smaller ones.

Alligators really are phenomenal and fascinating animals.

xvart.

 

[Ozzy]

Well this one wanted to give me a hug.

 

[Ozzy]

The 3 ft one kept his distance, but he was in the same area. He only approached us when the bigger ones was farther away. He could have been bigger than 3 ft. It's hard to see how big they are when they are underwater.

There is one pic of two gators staring each other down. The biggest one starting coming toward us, cause they are wanting to be fed. One that was almost as big as him met him half way and they stared at each other for about 2 or 3 minutes. The smaller one gave up and went to the other side of us.

 

[xvart]

They look very prehistoric with those big scaley things.

Those actually help with temperature regulation. I can't remember how, though.

Well this one wanted to give me a hug.

And you didn't oblige him/her?

xvart.

 

[Ozzy]

I wanted to but I thought my wife would get jealous.

 

[Flip_Side_the_Pint]

great pictures, what kind of fish were those I thought I could see one of the pitcures had a large largemouth bass but I couldn't see what the smaller ones were/are.

 

[Trapper7]

Wow, you weren't kidding when you said LOTS of gator pictures. They're very nice. I like the 4th pic in the second post the best. I wish I could have gotten that close to the gator I took pics of.

 

[elgecko]

Great pics.

I keep saying one of these years I'm throwing the canoe on top the car and driving down to the Everglades and doing some paddling in there. I have been there twice and love the wildlife that is around to photograph.
I'd stop at the Okefenokee Swamp. Another area I'd love to paddle.

 

[rsivertsen]

Whew! Definitely NOT a good swimmin' hole! - Rich

 

[Knuckles]

Those are some great shots

 

[Ozzy]

Hey Steve, on your way down stop by here. I can show you some great spots here.

If I can I would love to go with you to the Okefenokee Swamp or the Everglades.

 

[herenorthere]

I'll never understand the basic human instinct to feed alligators, bears, etc.

 

[xvart]

I'll never understand the basic human instinct to feed alligators, bears, etc.

Because they are oh so cute! Mmmmm...

xvart.

 

[Mokele]

Those actually help with temperature regulation. I can't remember how, though.

The dorsal osteoderms (scales with bone inside) are very rich with blood vessels. When the gator needs to warm up, it shunts blood to them and the sun warms the blood, which in turn warms the rest of the gator. When the gator wants to retain heat, it shunts blood away, so it won't lose heat to the outside.

And technically they are prehistoric - the genus of modern alligators is about 34 million years ago, before cats split from other carnivores.

Mokele

 

[herenorthere]

Technically, every genus is prehistoric, since that means prior to written records.