Fun with reptiles

[snap1415]

This morning, I had a close encounter with an alligator. Went down to the Brazos Bend State Park (which was supposed to be lousy with gators) to see what I could see.

I was slowly walking along a trail through the swamp. The trail was the width of a single-lane road with low banks that sloped down into the water. The highest point on the trail was just a couple of feet above the water.

Using binoculars, I spotted a suspicious lump in the water about 30 yards away. The lump was the eyes & nose of a gator who was just hanging out, waiting for a meal to come by. I stood there for ten minutes or so watching him. Eventually, he started swimming away. He raised his head up a bit and began making a sort of bullfroggy noise. I reckon he was saying "Hi, I'm an alligator."

I was standing there fascinated & thinking how cool it all was until I heard the same noise coming from a point close behind me. I spun around just in time to see a big gator right at the edge of the water on the far side of the trail lift his head with his mouth open in a threat display. I didn't even know he was there. He had decided it was time for me to move along.

I put some more distance between us.

Saw two more big guys cruising in the water and more little gators than you could shake a stick at. I'm attaching a photo of a three-footer that was up out of the water.

In addition to the reptiles, I noticed Common Moorhens, Cattle Egrets, Neotropic Cormorants, Green Herons and White Ibis.

All in all, a most interesting morning.

 

[rgraham666]

Cool!

 

[Guest]

Wow!

Great picture, too!

 

[snap1415]

I had never seen an alligator in the wild before this morning. The reputation of the park as being gator heaven is well deserved.

 

[rgraham666]

And the reputation of the park among gators as a buffet is also well deserved.

 

[snap1415]

Next time I go, I'll take a sack of hamsters......

 

[rgraham666]

Ha! Good one.

 

[TxRad]

I had never seen an alligator in the wild before this morning. The reputation of the park as being gator heaven is well deserved.

I've worked on quite a few wells in that area over the years and yes, it has one hell of a gator population. Not to mention deer by the thousands. The largest gator I've seen there was well over fifteen feet.

also, this is the hatching time for baby gators and Mama gets testy when you get to close to babies. That croaking sound is to call the kids when it's done softly. If it has a sharper louder sound to it, then you've had your one warning to back off.

By the way, a gator can do almost 40 mph for short distances, so be warned and stay on watch. You got lucky if that second gator was within twenty yards and/or near land. They usually block off the lowland trails for the gator hatch. it must have came early this year.