This was the coolest morning we’ve had since spring, just below 60 F (15 C) and the other Alligators I had seen were fully in the water with just their noses sticking out. This fellow was boldly more exposed, perhaps feeling some warmth from the sun’s first rays.
I wondered if this young Alligator felt he was hidden by the small clump of grass around his head.
Wading birds and alligators gathered along this marsh inlet as the tide was going out.
The Snowy Egrets changed position frequently, they seem happiest when flapping around. The other egrets and herons tended to stick to their claimed spot, even as the alligators passed by.
Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis shared the banks.
I’ve documented this scenario before, but still find it interesting to watch unfold.
Alligator 1 is minding his own business having a snooze.
Alligator 2 would like a turn in the sun and just kept pushing.
There was no altercation, just a final nudge, and Alligator 1 went over the side.
On a recent visit to one of the local wildlife management areas several Alligators were bellowing all around the old rice field pond. Both males and females can bellow and will do it year round, not just in mating season. During mating season they will do it as a chorus. Needless to say, it can be a little disconcerting. You the human have no way to know what a particular chorus is all about and sound echoing on the water often makes it hard to know just where a particular Alligator is hiding.
I watched this Alligator work his way along the bank of the dike and unfortunately couldn’t see his whole body but was fascinated by the jumping water. The “water dance” is caused by an infrasonic signal known as “subaudible vibrations” and is only performed by males.
After this performance he was done with his socialization activities.
He picked a spot a little further along the bank and settled in.
Alligator social behavior is quite complex, and include at least visual, auditory, and olfactory components. I found a fascinating article by Kent A. Vliet published in the journal American Zoology and shared by the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.
You can read the full article
Click to access Social%20Displays%20of%20the%20American%20Alligator.pdf
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
The texture and color of this Anole made a nice contrast with the tree bark as he posed perpendicularly to the bark grain.
He very considerately made a 90 degree turn to show off the effect of his body with the grain. His tail didn’t completely follow.
This Anole looks a little different than most of them that I have seen with the white stripe down his back and rougher and more speckled skin. Click on either image to get a closer look.
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.
