This is the biggest Alligator I have ever seen taking a walk.
Zoom in to see that the stuff hanging out of his mouth is vegetation of some kind. A juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron is standing at the Alligator’s tail.
Lodge Pond, Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC, 7/1/2018
These two Alligators were swimming in different ponds, taken about an hour apart on a recent June morning.
The bank where I was standing was much higher above the water in the second image, the sun was higher in the sky, and there was a remarkable difference in how the water appeared. The second Alligator was moving a little faster, too.
Alligators follow their instincts when they hear a splash in the water…lets go check it out.
An Anhinga had jumped into the pond and was swimming with his head up. First one then two Alligators were in hot pursuit.
I was too far away to really see what was happening. In fact I probably shouldn’t have bothered with these images with the glare on the water, but it was like watching a train wreck. I’m not sure if this churning of the water was the two Alligators having a spat or if the bird had ducked under and the gators lunged.
The Alligators backed away a bit then the Anhinga popped up between them then leisurely swam along as if he were alone. A minute or two later they all lost interest and went their separate ways.
Click on images for larger view.Â
I’m awake!
Cool off
Visit the skinny tree
Turtle lunch?
Not this time
We are used to seeing Alligators in swamps, on riverbanks, and around marshes. These two found sunny spots that were more genteel looking. The first one was snoozing in a large patch of lawn clover.
Another found a slightly shaded spot on a manicured lawn. The water is a man-made reflecting pool on the grounds of Middleton Place, a historical plantation known for its formal gardens.
The younger Alligator had enough sunbathing and was ready for a dip.
In one fluid motion he was over the end of the ramp…
and disappeared into the pond with a polite splash.
The big gator and the turtles were not impressed.
On a mission, or so it would seem, this Alligator crossed from one side of the pond to the other without stopping or diverting. His pace was just slow enough he didn’t make much of a ripple in the water.
After he passed the Cyprus tree the reflections from the budding trees on the far bank colored the water.
Different Position for me, that is. This was taken about 15 minutes before and standing ten or so feet closer on the path than yesterday’s post of the Alligator Ramp. The two Alligators and group of turtles hadn’t moved much when that first photo was taken.
The change in the sun and my angle created a completely different look of the reflections in the water.
The young Alligator in the water circled around a few times but for reasons unknown didn’t make the climb to join his sibling and mom out of the water.
I have seen Alligators crawl over turtles on these ramps and I have seen them eat turtles. Life in the swamp is risky business but for this afternoon this group was getting along.
Below, the young Alligator stayed with his head lifted quite awhile; air exposure is part of how they regulate their temperature.
The Alligator never moved.
These were taken January 9th, at the end of a week when we had extreme cold for South Carolina and six inches of snow. Alligators slow their metabolic activity when it gets cold and all they need is to breathe.
The Little Blue Heron waded the entire length of the Alligator, poking in the water as he went, perhaps not even recognizing the gator was there.
