Category Archives: Reptiles

American Alligator

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American Alligator

 

 

American Alligator - Alligator mississippiensis

American Alligator - Photographer Donald W. Deloach Jr.

American Alligator Description

There is plenty to be learned when it comes to the American Alligator. A common question is about them being white in color. While it is true that they can be it is also very rare. Only a fraction of them actually have this coloring as both of the parents must have the gene for it. Today, genetic testing can be done that shows which ones have it. This is why there are higher numbers of such offspring born in captivity.

Most of these alligators feature a very dark coloring though – much darker than any of the other species of alligators out there. They can grow to be quite large too with the males usually close to 14 feet and the females close to 10 feet. Their weight varies significantly depending on the location where they are found.

American Alligator Anatomy

Like all alligators they feature very strong jaws and very sharp teeth. These are the tools that help them to successfully take down prey that is much larger than they are. The use of their tail is also a weapon to corral their prey when they need additional strength to keep them in place. The tail can account for several feet of the overall body size for these animals.

American Alligator Evolution

There isn’t much to explain when it comes to the evolution of the American Alligator. What you see is what you get and that same concept has been true all through time. There is very little evidence of any alligators evolving which shows how the complex nature of their bodies has been a very good design. They have been able to survive what nature and man has sent their way.

American Alligator Behavior

Even though the body of the American Alligator hasn’t changed much, they have been successful in a variety of others ways. Experts that have carefully studied them are truly amazed by the level of intelligence that these animals display. They are able to problem solve which definitely helps them to adapt to their environment.

They are careful observers, and know what movements different animals will make. This is why they make it seem so effortless to successfully take down their prey. They have studied them and know with some certainty what they will be doing and what they will be evaluating in their surroundings.

American Alligator Habitat and Distribution

This particular species of alligator is only native to areas of the United States. They require an environment is humid and has warm temperatures. They are able to live in both saltwater and freshwater. However, more than 90% of them live in freshwater areas. It seems that many of them are being pushed into saltwater though due to a lack of location. They are at the mercy of humans because they continue to take over land these alligators once freely roamed.

Florida has more American Alligators than any other place. The last estimated count was approximately 2 million of them. Additional millions of these animals are scattered around Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana. They try to remain in one area but if they feel threatened for food is hard to find they may branch out. This is why territories there were once unknown to have them seem to be detecting larger numbers of them.

American Alligator Feeding Habits

You may assume that such animals have to eat constantly. However, they have a very slow metabolism so they are able to eat infrequently. This could be a primary reason why they have been able to survive for millions of years and other animals simply couldn’t. They can eat lots of different mammals but rodents are a huge part of their diet. For the larger American Alligators it isn’t unreasonable for them to consume deer and cattle.

They are also known to consume humans even though they don’t hunt for them as some people think. Yet they are instinctive predators and they aren’t about to pass up a chance to get a great meal. Humans that live in these areas or that visit need to be fully aware of the danger that may be lurking in the waters.

Believe it or not, the American Alligator actually serves a purpose when it comes to the rodents in their habitat. Without so many of them being consumed by these animals it would be an epidemic to contend with. The living conditions are right for them and they have an extremely fast rate of reproduction.

They swallow food in very large pieces that sit heavily at the pit of the stomach. To help with digestion they consume stones. The grinding action of them helps to break down the food. For those that have seen the American Alligator consuming rocks and was puzzled, you now have an understanding of why it takes place.

American Alligator Reproduction

Even though it is always warm where these alligators live, in the spring time that is kicked up a couple of notches. As the heat rolls in so does the urge for mating. The males are the pursuers and they will go to great lengths to get other males out of the way. Once they have mated with a female they will leave her. Their goal is to mate with as many of them as they can.

Each female can create from 20 to 50 eggs with her body. She has the duty of creating a sizable nest on the land for them to be placed in. She will stay close to her eggs as much as she can. However, it takes about 65 days for them to emerge. Realistically, she can’t go without food that long. She also needs the water so she can cool her body from the heat.

Instinctively though she has a good idea of when the young will be born. Her duty is then to help them out of the shells and into the water. There she will do all she can to protect them from birds and turtles trying to feed on them. Even so, a large number of them will be lost due to these predators.

American Alligator Predators

As an American Alligator gets larger though it has less and less to be afraid of. Well, at least in terms of other animals. By the time it is full grown there isn’t a single one that will challenge it. The aggressive nature and power of this animal has a reputation that none will mess with.

The challenges for it come from humans that don’t like sharing the same areas with them. Of course the American alligator was there first but most humans tend to forget that quickly enough. As a result of this they are constantly hunting them in an effort to clear them out. They also hunt them so that their skin can be sold to be offered for leather goods. That is a million dollar industry so there is plenty of incentive to take part in it.

There are also thrill seeking hunters that want to do all they can to get a good hunt it. With the high number of American Alligators out there, they don’t have to worry about laws to prevent it. In fact, such hunting is often encouraged to keep the population of these alligators from becoming overwhelming.

 

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Nile Crocodile

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Nile Crocodile

 

Nile Crocodile Facts

Nile Crocodile - Crocodylus niloticus

Nile Crocodile Description

You can’t miss the enormous size of the Nile Crocodile as it can be more than 17 feet long. The males are the largest but the females are still quite large. The males can be about 1,000 pounds or more. Sometimes they can be found up to 2,000 pounds but there are only a handful of them that actually fall into that particular category.

Nile Crocodile Anatomy

The body of this crocodile is covered with dark skin that is very scaly. This very skin is a reason why they are heavily hunted to make leather goods from. They have a very long tail that has amazing power behind it. They have powerful jaws that can clamp down on prey with no mercy. They also have sharp teeth that will continue replace themselves throughout their life span. This is part of the reason why they can easily live from 70 to 100 years.

The appendages of the Nile Crocodile are very short and they grow outward. This design offers them very little in the way of resistance in the water. At the same time it gives them plenty of speed. Their anatomy though isn’t one that works very well for them on land. They have to scoot along on their belly which can take up lots of energy.

Nile Crocodile Evolution

The lack of evolution is what is really quite interesting when it comes to the Nile Crocodile. In fact, they continue to do very well with the same body design that they have featured for millions of years. There is no evidence to suggest any types of huge changes in their body design have ever occurred. This is very different than what experts believed have occurred with so many other types of animals out there.

Nile Crocodile Behavior

The intelligence of the Nile Crocodile is fascinating as well. Experts have conducted a variety of tests and found that they learn faster than rats in many instances. They are able to memorize and to problem solve which helps them to adapt to their environment. They don’t seem to mind being placed in captivity either which makes it even easier to observe them.

They are aggressive though and that can make it challenging to successfully observe them and to conduct tests. It is believed that that they carefully study the behaviors of others animals around them. They also do so with villagers that are around them. They use this information to determine what they will do when it comes to attacking their prey.

Nile Crocodile Habitat and Distribution

The Nile Crocodile is native to Asia, India, and Australia. Did you know that they can also live in bodies of freshwater? Many people assume they only live in the saltwater. This is due to their name and also to the fact that you will find most of them there. However, as the territory for these animals continues to get smaller more of them are moving into the freshwater habitats.

The older ones have already established their own territory and they aren’t willing to share it. Younger Nile Crocodiles rely on their instincts for survival to get them to a place they can call their own. As long as that freshwater habitat offers them the warmth that they need, land to place their eggs, and enough food to survive on they will do just fine.

As they get larger though and want to mate with more females, many of the males will move into the saltwater territories. They will aggressively challenge other males both for mating rights and for that territory.

Nile Crocodile Feeding Habits

What the Nile Crocodile consumes depends on the size of it. There are three main stages that it goes through. As a youngling it will have to rely on insects, frogs, and small fish. As they get larger they can consume small mammals and larger fish. Fully grown they can consume very large mammals as well as all of the other food groups. As a result they are able to thrive because there should always be some type of food for them.

They don’t mess around at all when it comes to food. They will take on sharks that are several times larger than they are. They are also believed to consume more humans than any other type of reptile out there. Many villagers end up dying at the hands of these animals. Many that simply disappear are believed to have met such a fate.

Nile Crocodile Reproduction

These animals don’t mate until they are older – 10 years for the females and 16 for the males on average. When it is time for mating the males first have to fight off each other. They will come into various territories in order to be able to find females that are around. They usually don’t physically fight each other but they will engage in challenging standoffs that can last for several hours before one of them gives up.

The females have a very difficult task after mating. Even though moving around on land is hard for them they must do it. The land is where they can create a nest to put the 40 to 60 eggs into. She will use mud, sticks, and other elements of her natural environment to be able to create that nest. She will stay around to protect it as much as she can.

When she has to go to the water to find food predators may try to access her eggs. She will do all she can to prevent that. It can be 90 days before she hears her young trying to get out of their shells. She will help to crack them and then carry her offspring to the water in her mouth.

Nile Crocodile Predators

Extremely large numbers of the young are killed by predators such as birds and turtles early on. If the female has 50 young she will be lucky is 3 of them survive to the age of maturity. Sometimes other Nile Crocodiles will even consume the young when they are in the water.

As these crocodiles get larger though they are less likely to have any problems with other animals out there. However, that is when they will start to experience even more problems with humans. They are often hunted to reduce their level of aggression towards humans. They are also hunted so that people can have some source of meat out there from these animals. It is said to have a very good taste to it.

More of them are hunted for the value of their skins than anything else. These skins are sold for a good profit in order for various types of leather goods to be created from them. There is a huge market for products made from leather so those that do such hunting always know they can make money from their efforts.

There are individuals that do hunt them to be able to say they have successfully killed one of the largest reptiles in the world. They go on guided hunts to areas where these animals are known to live. Many villagers are willing to lead such expeditions in exchange for money and for goods. The Nile Crocodile still has good population numbers in spite of the hunting efforts out there.

 

Nile Crocodile Related Articles

– American Alligator 

 

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