I spotted an Alligator floating/laying in some tall grass at the edge of a tidal inlet.
I passed by about an hour later and the Alligator had not moved as the incoming tide rose around him.
Tide Rising Around Alligator
Category Archives: Reptiles
Alligator Nursery
These images were taken in the same tidal inlet as my post All Stacked Up, Alligator Mother and Young.
It is probably the same family as mother Alligators are very territorial.
The tide was in and the juvenile Alligators were having some swim practice.
I didn’t see mamma, but you can be sure she wasn’t far off as the youngsters explored.
This last fellow was working on his “just floating” pose.
Spoonie Tree with Roseate Spoonbills, and More
This tree is affectionately known as the “Spoonbill Tree” by the many photographers that frequent this location.
Some days when I stop by there is lots of activity and this day in September was one of them.
A close look at the exposed roots and the leafless branches tell a story of a tree that is closer to the end of its life than the beginning.
I will not be surprised at any time to discover it has fallen over. In the mean time it is well used as a bird perch.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
Green Pond, SC
September 20, 2020
All Stacked Up, Alligator Mother and Young
A mother Alligator will stay around her young for two to three years; the juveniles are on their own to eat but she will ward off predators. They often can be seen piled on each other, probably to control temperature and some sense of protection when they are very young.
They all appeared to be ignoring us but you can see the “king of the hill” opened his eyes between my first and second shots.
You can easily pick out five juveniles above, there were three or four down by momma’s tail, and I’m sure more we couldn’t see in the grass.
Just based on my observations I’d say these are around six months old.
Rice Field Canal, Almost Fall
Two Alligators were visible in the canal that runs around an old rice field at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area. Taken September 13th, we are starting to see some changes to fall colors.
Backyard Carolina Anole on Caladium
With more time spent at home this summer Carolina Anoles have continued to entertain me on our patio.
This is the first year I’ve tried Caladium. It’s holding up to the heat and makes a great perch for the Anoles as they search for bugs.
The colors of the lizard and the leaves were incredibly vivid; here’s a B&W version.
Leaving a Trail
I heard this young Alligator chirping at the edge of a duckweed covered pond. I’ve seen juveniles in this area off and on over the summer and suspect they are now around six months old and about 2 feet (60 cm) long.
From there he headed out into the pond, using his full body and tail to propel forward. I didn’t hear any more chirping and didn’t see any siblings. Or mama.
Then he made a 90 degree turn.
Finally he straightened out and headed for the other side of the pond, leaving a squiggly trail in the thick duckweed behind him.
Alligator In The Green
The greens seem more intense in some places as we head into fall. This Alligator slid from the walking path into the water as I approached, then bobbed up in the duckweed as I passed by.
I Spy In The Green
… a Tree Frog and a Grasshopper, and a lot of green.
The Tree Frog appeared to spy me, too, but he didn’t much care about me or the grasshopper.
The grasshopper ignored us both, too.
Juvenile Five-lined Skink Acrobat
I saw this little ( 2 or 3 inch / 5-8 cm) Skink land, and am not sure if he jumped or fell. Whichever it was I think the result stunned him. He stayed in this awkward position for 15 or 20 seconds before leaping off into the interior of the plant.
