On my first herpetology field trip last Tuesday, I found
many exciting amphibians and reptiles. While wandering around away from the
group, I came across Cottonmouths, Ribbon Snakes, Tree frogs, Cricket frogs,
Newts, and Amphiumas, to name a few. However, the main reptiles missing from
the trip to Caw-Caw Interpretive Center were the gators! The following weekend
I decided to go on a hunt for the American alligator, (Alligator
mississippiensis), at the I’on Swamp Trail located in Francis Marion National
Forest. The environment at I’on Swamp was very similar to Caw Caw, with a few
pathways for walking, surrounded by mostly shallow, swampy water. As I was
nearing the end of my hike I took one last look around, and to my surprise I saw
a baby gator that was about 2ft long basking in the sun on a small log in the
middle of the water.
Alligators are known for their parental care, so I decided
to stay in that same area for a little longer to search for a larger specimen. A
few minutes later I came across a much larger and fiercer looking alligator, that I
estimated to be about 9-10 feet long. The average size for adult female alligators
is 8ft, while the average size for males is 11 ft., and exceptionally large
males can reach a weight of close to 1000 pounds. Alligators are carnivorous
and they feed on fish, small invertebrates, birds, frogs, and other mammals
that come to the waters edge. Both gators that I encountered were too far away
from me to truly determine their sex, although based on the size I would guess that the larger one was a male. I found both of these alligators around
4:00 PM, which is a pretty warm part of the day. Alligators are ectothermic,
and they tend to bask on logs or along the water’s edge to soak up the sunlight
in order to increase their metabolic rate. During the colder months of the
year, alligators undergo periods of dormancy where they usually dig what are
known as “gator holes” that fill with water and protect them from extreme cold
temperatures. Rather than hibernating, gators undergo a process known as Brumation, where they slow down their metabolic rate a lot. The last few days in Charleston have been very warm with
temperatures reaching the high 70’s, so I expected to finally see some gators
on my hike, and I was very excited when I finally did. After I snapped a few
photos, I continued on my way without aggravating the alligators.
3 comments:
It's funny the posts I find interesting keep being yours, but anyways, I think your encounter was really cool! I run into a baby/ adolescent alligator too last Monday at CawCaw. It was the first alligator I've ever seen in the wild! And surprisingly, instead of being scared to death, I was probably the most excited person in my plant tax group (and I was probably only not scared because they were with me). How far away were you when you watched the gators? Did you feel scared when the big one came about? Did it see you? Did you back off? I want to know what are the best things to do if I encounter an aggravated alligator to keep safe or to calm it down. Do you know?
Awesome! Both the I'On Swamp area and Caw Caw (and a lot of other places in the Lowcountry) are former rice plantations, explaining the similar habitat. But it's been a few years since I've been lucky enough to see a gator at I'On Swamp!
BloggerD, check out this info about safety around alligators. Basically, keep your distance, don't attempt to interact with the gator, and leave the young'uns alone! http://srelherp.uga.edu/alligators/alligator-safety.htm
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