Ghost Hunters, Part IV

Originally posted on Audubon Guides on July 16th, 2012

My companions take the first step into the duckweed (Lemna valdiviana) covered muck. It stirs slightly and closes back in over the black water as they wade out into the slough. “Something moved in the water” one of them says. “Probably a snake”. I’ve seen Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) out here in the past, most notably one that bobbed to the surface after I stepped on it. They can inject venom with an underwater bite. I got lucky. We carry sticks for balance, to probe the water depth and to check for critters. We can’t dismiss the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) either. We believe there’s not enough food for an alligator out here yet. At least that’s what we’re telling ourselves.

With each step we look a few feet above us. Ghost Orchids are leafless plants that have recognizable green-white cord like roots that radiate from a center point. They typically grow 6-10 feet above the water on Pop Ash and Pond Apples which provide excellent cover and trap the perfect amount of humidity for these epiphytes to thrive.

My one mistake of the day sets me on edge for the rest of it. As I wade into deeper water I sidestep an unseen fallen branch at my feet. I plunge from knee depth to hip deep in a second and suddenly my cameras, which I've raised over my head are not my biggest concern. I safely scramble onto a dry island and consider the importance of my walking stick.

I pick up the “trail” – a loose separation of duckweed that my companions have slogged through and continue hip deep at a cautious pace. They have found the first Ghost, a double with two blooms floating to either side of the host tree trunk.

The decision is made to check the edges of the slough as the plants in the middle seem to have bloomed early. I gratefully make my way out of the deep water as my shoes make one last sucking gasp as the mud releases them. Two year ago we found four Ghosts in another slough. Suddenly we were surrounded by them. Several were just blooming, some wilting and others in full resplendent glory. We found singles, doubles and one triple blossom plant – 22 all told.

Ghost Orchid twins © Pete Corradino

As I wrap my head around our good fortune I hear whispers. Babbling sounds from the center of the swamp. Am I imagining this? It sounds like people but we are out in the middle of nowhere. After a few moments, three strangers make their way across the slough and beam in on a flower their GPS has led them to. We introduced ourselves and left them to their work. That’s when we found this beautiful “triple” double, a double blossom with a single blossom growing from a neighboring plant. Beautiful.

After all of that, I’m afraid it’s time to head back the way we came in. 

Bite the Hand That Feeds You

Recently, an Everglades airboat captain lost his hand to an American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) during a tour. Feeding, harassing or molesting alligators is punishable with a maximum fine of up to $500 and 60 days and jail. Losing your limbs or your life is an additional punishment for bad behavior.

In all of my years in the Everglades I have seen people do some dumb things around these giant reptiles. I watched a mother with a shovel in one hand and a bag of mystery meat in the other feed a wild alligator as her small children stood by and watched. The shovel she claimed was to hit the alligator over the head if it approached. I explained to her the first rule of alligator etiquette. Don’t do dumb things. I explained the law and she left (and probably to return another day).  

© Pete Corradino

I watched in horror as a European couple walked their child down to the edge of the water and backed away to take a picture. No doubt the picture of a small child with a six foot alligator just feet away might have impressed someone but I carefully approached and pantomimed the first rule. They didn’t speak English, but “don’t do dumb things” was easily articulated with two arms making a chomping motion.

I watched two teenage boy inexplicably chasing an eight foot alligator down the main road in the Everglades National Park. I stopped them and asked them what was going to happen when they caught up to the alligator. They had no clue. The alligator found an opening in the mangroves and slipped away.

© Pete Corradino

The law has a purpose. Alligators have a natural fear of humans. In fact there have been less than 600 wild alligator attacks in Florida since 1948 and only 23 of those were fatalities. Of those attacks, most were either alligators that were fed, alligators that were being handled (molesting) or occurred when someone was swimming in the water with them.

Once an alligator loses its fear of people it becomes a dangerous alligator. If you dangle a piece of chicken in front of an alligator, it’s going to bite the hand that feeds it. 

Obnoxious Weed - Water Lettuce

People are often surprised to find that I don’t like to swim. Considering I was born and raised in South Florida it shouldn’t be a surprise. When the ocean is warm enough to swim in it, the air is disgustingly hot and humid. In the winter when Florida is full of Canadians the water feels Polar Bear cold (anything below 68 for me). To add to it, just about every fresh water lake, pond or river is occupied by an alligator, which leaves swimming pools. I didn’t have one and the local community pool was full of something far more insidious than alligators, public pool peers.

Aquatic wildlife species have it tough when it comes to waterways choked with Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes). The floating plant, which is often found in Bald Cypress swamps, grows vegetatively as well as sexually and can blanket the surface of fresh waterways. It looks like a head of lettuce growing on the water and has the green vibrancy of a week-dead treefrog trapped between my sliding and screen door.

There is debate as to the origin of the plant’s native status in the United States with some saying it was introduced from the ballast of ships coming from Africa or South America. Native or otherwise, it is considered a noxious weed in many U.S. locations where it is found clogging up waterways.

Water Lettuce makes life tough for the Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), a freshwater diver that seeks crayfish, fish and aquatic insects. Not only does the Water Lettuce block the light and limit visibility for diving birds, it also prevents the growth of other plants, leading to the reduction of nutrients and biological diversity.

For the carnivorous American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), there’s no chance in partaking of a salad but I have watched gator pups lounge about on several heads of water lettuce like they were tubing down a slow-flowing river. Sounds like fun, but still no chance of me going in that water. 

Aquatic Ferrari - The Florida Softshell Turtle

There’s a tremendous advantage to having a tall carapace (upper shell) and sturdy plastron (bottom shell) if you’re a turtle in the southeastern United States. Here there be alligators and despite the fact that an alligator can exert thousands of pounds of pressure of chomping power on their prey, if they can’t slam their jaw shut on their oversized meal, they have to look for lunch elsewhere.

Sliders and Cooters are the SUVs of the turtle world. They’re hefty, relatively slow moving but strong bodied. I’ve often seen tooth marks where an alligator has cracked a hole in the carapace but got no further. Florida Softshell Turtles (Apalone ferox) on the other hand have soft, flexible upper and lower parts that are covered in skin as opposed to the keratinous, fingernail-like covering on other turtle shells. Softshells are the Ferraris of the turtle world. While the shell doesn’t afford them much protection against the crushing bite of an alligator, I have seen them use their speed to their advantage. The bottom right photo shows the head of a large female softshell in the toothy grasp of the alligator. The turtle didn’t panic and seemed content to be escorted around. Instead of struggling and wasting energy, it was biding its time. When the alligator opened up to get a better bite, the softshell took off with a burst of speed. Sorry gator.

The Florida Softshell Turtle can be distinguished from other softshells by the bumpy ridge above the head on the carapace. Males grow to be around 12 inches while females are sizably larger at 20 inches. Florida softies are omnivorous and aquatic, although they do bask out of the water and cross roads as necessary. In the spring the females will find a soft-soiled area to lay their eggs or if they’re feeling lucky, the female will sneak her eggs into the side of an alligator’s nest where ironically they are protected from nest predators by the mama alligator. Ultimately it doesn’t matter if you’re an SUV or a Ferrari. What matters is how long you’re in the race.

The Jester

Why don’t cannibals eat clowns? Because they taste funny. The same can be said for Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Queen (Danaus gilippus) and Soldier (Danaus eresimus) butterflies as well as other brightly colored showy species. Most predatory species, particularly birds will avoid the flashy flying insects because they do taste funny. Or awful. These three regal caterpillars feed on milkweed which contains alkaloids which will be necessary for breeding as adults and act as a chemical defense against predators. Once the caterpillar goes through the metamorphic process, bright colors act as a reminder to potential predators that these insects are poisonous. A predator may try one once, but if it survives, and they usually do, they probably will not do it again. This form of defense is known as aposemitism. If it’s brightly colored, best to move on to something else on the buffet line.

And then there’s the Viceroy (Limenitis archippus), orange oligarch of the Lepidoptera and faker in the first degree. Viceroys are said to effectively display Batesian mimicry. They look like the other poisonous members of the king’s court but are they poisonous? It has been long believed that they have evolved to look like a poisonous species which has provided them the defense necessary to avoid predation. Although their larval form feeds on host plants other than milkweed, it’s now thought that Viceroys may in fact be poisonous themselves. If anything the Viceroy is the Jester playing predators and naturalists the fool.

In the swamps of South Florida, the Viceroy looks similar to the abundant Queen butterfly rather than the rare Monarch. The individual that lit upon the back of the alligator prompted a debate regarding its identification. While someone claimed Monarch, I insisted Viceroy and pointed out the black band across the hind wing. They remained insistent and I, the Jester, suggested they move closer for a better look. 

Babies vs Alligators

I am often asked if I worry about alligators. As a hiker and an Everglades tour guide I see them often. In fact we guarantee guests that they will see them on our tour. I never take for granted that we have massive reptilians that can grow more than fourteen feet in length. I understand them and I respect them. I do not worry about them.

Recently my wife and I took our baby for a stroll on a trail next to a marsh near our home. As she pushed the stroller through a muddy portion of the trail I noticed the stroller tracks bisecting an animal’s tracks. There was no mistaking it. A large all­igator had recently crawled from the river, climbed the muddy berm and descended into the pond on the other side. The large webbed feet made deep impressions in the mud and the sinuous trail of its heavy tail drew a perfect impression of an animal walking with a side to side gait.

The alligator was nowhere in sight, nor was it lurking in wait to snatch our baby. It was a hot day and no doubt it simply wanted to get from one body of water to another. Fish, birds, turtles and other prey that are easily chomped and swallowed are typically on the menu. American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) often take to the water at the sight of a person and while attacks do happen, there have been only 568 reported in Florida since 1948. Males were involved in 86% of attacks and unsurprisingly, many of those were provoked.

Feeding an alligator often results in an alligator losing its natural fear of people and they are more likely to approach. Swimming in rivers, canals and ponds, especially at night can mimic the sound of injured prey which draws the attention of an alligator. Water hazards on golf courses can be literal hazards as well.  

Having said all of that, the number of fatalities caused by alligators since 1948 is twenty three. The number of babies in strollers chased by alligators? Zero. Am I careful? Yes. Am I worried? There are more important things to worry about.

Grunt

In the next few weeks, baby alligators, cramped in chicken-sized, leathery eggs that look like deflated balloons will begin to grunt. It’s really more like a bark. It tells mama alligator, who has patiently defended the nest for the last sixty-three days, that her babies are ready to bust out of their eggs and crawl into the light.

Female alligators often make nests in secluded areas of a swamp, mostly for protection from other alligators. They scrape vegetation and mud into a large mound typically four feet wide and three feet high. They can lay anywhere from 20-80  eggs in the nest before covering it over and allowing the decaying vegetation to produce the heat that will incubate the eggs and support the development of her baby gators or “grunts”.

As an ectotherm, or “cold-blooded” reptile, she can’t contribute heat to the nest. Her role is to protect the nest from predators like raccoons, opossums, snakes and crows. The sound of the grunts barking encourages her to scrape the top off the nest and assist in their introduction into the water. When they are born they are typically six inches long. By their first birthday they have grown to a foot in length and grow on average, a foot a year for the first seven years of their lives.

As young grunts they are near the bottom of the food chain. Hatchlings can be eaten by Wood Storks, Snapping Turtles, Raccoons, Large Mouth Bass and other Alligators. Within a few years they are on the top of the food chain and can eat anything they can chomp and swallow. People are not on the menu.

On an incredibly scenic bike ride through the 7,017 acre Bird Rookery Swamp Management Unit in the Corkscrew Regional Watershed Ecosystem in Naples, FL we spotted well over one hundred grunts, many gathered in “pods” and sitting on logs or floating in the duckweed. Most of them did an alligator cannonball at the sound or sight of our presence. Each one guarded by a mama gator, seen or unseen. 

Keep Your Enemies Closer - Alligators and Turtles

Alligators eat turtles. It’s not their number one choice on the menu but they have no qualms about eating them. Sliders, cooters, softshells, snappers. If they can chomp them and swallow them – down they go. But that doesn’t mean they can’t tolerate each other.

Alligators have one of the most powerful bites in the natural world. Their teeth are not sharp, nor can they chew, but an adult alligator can exert more than 2000 lbs of pressure per square inch of their jaw. With 80 concrete-like pegs for teeth they can snap that jaw shut with lightning speed and make a delicious meal out of the crunchiest turtle. The problem with turtles is not that they have shells but the style of the shell. Florida Softshell Turtles (Apalone ferox) are quick and pliable. Normally they can squeeze into the narrowest crevices to avoid danger. The tenacious turtle in the bottom right photo went for a ride in the jaws of the alligator but eventually escaped. Yes that’s the poor thing’s snout.

Sliders and Cooters can grow well-rounded carapaces (the upper half of their shell) which makes eating them all the more problematic. Imagine trying to eat a baseball-sized walnut. In the shell. Your mouth is too small and your jaw is not strong enough. A turtle with a high shell might get captured in the jaws of an alligator but it may be difficult for the gator to chomp down. Often a large turtle will escape with a slightly cracked shell or a tooth mark or two.

Alligators have a seemingly unending supply of teeth. Beneath each of the 80 conical teeth is another tooth ready to go, so if one is lost in a turtle-eating attempt, the alligator has plenty more where that came from.

In the top photo, the turtles were polite enough to allow the alligator the choicest of basking spots on the log. “You go first. We’ve got your back.” This alligator is far too small to sample any of the four turtles relaxing behind it. Plus feeding time for alligators is usually after sundown. Of course, there’s nothing keeping another bigger alligator from clearing the log of all occupants.

Python Kills Toddler

A 2-year old was strangled to death by a pet Burmese Python yesterday in Orlando, FL (story). The 12 foot exotic snake from SE Asia escaped from an aquarium and was found with the lifeless child. The boyfriend of the child's mother owned the snake and did not have the proper permit to posses a "Reptile of Concern", nor did he have the good sense to secure an obviously dangerous animal.

The Burmese Python is one of top 5 largest snakes in the world and can reach lengths greater than 18 feet in the wild. In captivity they can grow quickly and this young, former pet python that we have on display is well over 19 feet and weighs over 350 pounds. It was offered to us after the owner could no longer take care of it.

While Pythons are considered relatively docile, large snakes become difficult to handle and maintain. Many have been released into the wild in Florida by owners who were incapable of

caring for them. The US Geologic Survey released a range map in 2008 that shows where Pythons have been found to date.

Biologists estimate there are over 30,000 Burmese Pythons living in Florida. Pythons are constrictors, feeding on appropriate sized mammals including the endangered Everglades Mink and Mangrove Fox Squirrel. Females lay up to 90 eggs per clutch and are quite protective of their young - making predation by raccoons, opossums and other nest raiders tough.

In over 600 tours I have led, I have only seen 2 dead Burmese on the Tamiami Trail in the Miccosukee Reservation. Both sightings happened to be the same day but more and more Pythons are seen each year.

Not only are invasive snakes a threat to the ecosystem they now inhabit - wild Pythons could soon become a threat to nature lovers enjoying the same habitat. Various places around the Internet lit up today with comments of people terrified to visit the Everglades. While it's acceptable to be concerned about the wildlife in the place you may visit, I would suggest terror might be an over exaggerated emotion in this situation. We live among Alligators with little conflict. We can do so with Burmese Pythons if we must.

A small, light-colored 12-foot Boa Constrictor rests on top of a 19-foot Burmese Python

The difficulty will be controlling their populations. Currently there is no effective way to control let alone eliminate the giant snakes. Secluded nest sites and large clutch sizes result in high survival rates. We can assume the population will grow as long as the climate remains the same.

What is utterly unacceptable is the irresponsibility of pet owners. Large snakes such as Anacondas, Burmese Pythons and Reticulated Pythons require permits to possess such snakes but there are no doubt many who shirk this legality (including the man in this incident). These snakes should always be kept secure and under no circumstance should a child ever be left where such a snake could harm them. Sadly it has happened before and it will probably happen again. People are stupid.

Sea World may want to update their "Fun Facts".

Focus - Croc Attack Edition

I blame my sister. I could blame myself for being bitten by a Crocodile but she should have known that I was in the Crocodile pit and doing a reptile demonstration when she called. I guess I should have turned the ringer off but with Crocodile in hand, Tiffany's ringtone began playing.

Embarrassed by the distraction I took one hand off the beast and while holding it by it's tail attempted to turn the ringer off. Crocodiles have an extra vertebrae in their neck and have more flexibility than alligators. Holding it by the tail was not a good idea and the agressive monster whipped around and chomped me on the hand leaving 2 tooth marks and a V-shaped cut from knuckle to knuckle.

Fortunately the croc that bit me was not one of the 11 footers pictured above and below. These two reside in Flamingo in the Everglades National Park.

They have sharp teeth and one the most powerful bites of any animal in the world with well over 2000 lbs of pressure per square inch when they bite.

I was chomped by Mean Joe Green - a nearly 2 year old and 2 foot long American Crocodile. It has sharp teeth which broke the skin but not a powerful bite. Yet. I'll survive.

The bigger issue with gator and croc bites is infection. I cleaned it well and the wound will not even leave a scar. When handling reptiles of any sort. Turn your phone off and focus.

Puke Breath

"Let me warn you about Vultures" the woman on the phone at the animal rehab center said. "It's ok - I know where you're going with this. They're pukers."

While on tour on Friday we spotted a juvenile vulture sitting on the ground under a palm tree. Unusual. It hopped about and clearly could not fly. So after a quick call to C.R.O.W (Center for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) out on Sanibel I confirmed that the Vulture had most likely fallen from the nest and was in need of rescue.

Vultures eat carrion. Dead stuff. On occasion the Black Vulture will help a sick or injured animal into the next world but fresh road kill is always the chef's choice for our roadside clean up crew.

Vultures don't seem to have much in the way of a defense system considering their weak talons but it might be a toss up if I had to rescue an injured owl vs a vulture. Vultures puke. They vomit when stressed. They barf if you get too close. So the idea of rescuing an injured vulture requires considering this consequence.

I prepped myself by climbing into a stinky dumpster to get a cardboard box big enough to transport the bird to CROW, grabbed a towel from the Lake Trafford Marina and headed down the road to wrangle the bird.

I know it's a juvenile because it still has feathers on the head. Adults go bald which is a great benefit when you spend your days with it stuck in a dead animal carcass.

Upon approaching the bird - it hopped about and tried to get lift off. I followed it around the Marina sign. I followed it around a Sabal Palm. There was no way I was going to catch this bird. It was healthy. It just had no idea it could fly. So I made one mad dash towards the potential puker and it leaped skyward, landing 6 feet up on a chain link fence. I approached again and the bird hopped down and headed towards the canal - I followed and when the bird ran out of space and was cornered by me, my box and my barf-shield, it leaped again, soaring a few feet down into the canal. Just before splashing into the gator-filled water, it flapped with several heavy wing beats, soared skyward and landed on a branch where it looked back at me as if to say "I had no idea I could do that". The vulture could finally fly. Good luck my new vulture friend and may the cars and roads bring you good fortune.

What's In the Box? - Mean Louise Edition

I was asked to pick up a package yesterday in Fort Lauderdale and when I arrived I was asked "Are you here for the box?"

"I guess I am"

I've had issues with boxes in the past.

See - What's in the Box?  

or Don't Open the Box.

Knowing what was inside - I carried it around all day and everywhere I went people asked what was in the box. I don't ask what's in their purses. I don't ask what's on their laptop. I don't ask them what's in their trunk or their medicine bag - but for some reason everyone thinks they have a right to know what's in my box. 

I could have anything in the box and if I tell people what's in the box that usually placates their curiosity. They don't actually need to see in the box. 

Obviously it was an alligator. I mean everyone with a head-sized box either has a baby alligator in it or a head. I don't have a permit for a head but I do have a permit for a gator. 

Since I had to stay in Fort Lauderdale I needed a place to keep the poor thing until we can get her to our facility where she'll be united with Chomp-Chomp. 

She's not a pet but for identification purposes she has a name - Mean Louise. She's feisty, shows her teeth and hisses but is gentle - for now. She may look cute but some day she'll be able to do some damage. And what's in the box? How about what's in the tub.

Dear Jungle Pete....

The following are drawings from the gifted students at Cafferatta & Diplomat Elementary School in Cape Coral following my alligator presentation last week. Thanks to Mrs. Taylor and the other teachers for teaching such thoughtful kids. Great art and fantastic comments  - not to mention they have better handwriting, spelling and grammar than I do!

To start us off - Here's a "beauty" of a letter from Tatiana with a nod to the late Steve Irwin.













A few excerpts from the awesome letters the kids wrote - 

"Thank you for teaching us about the temperature alligators need to be boys and girls." - Reinier

"I loved when you pushed his eye in, that was gross looking but cool" - Julia

"That alligator bark was really good to know about. That way if any alligators call I know to get out of there." - Heather

"The favorite thing about the alligator was their bark." - Sean

"I can't believe it had 80 teeth! That was really amusing." - Victoria

"The alligator had the most interesting snout." - Dylan

"It was very weird how animals with such a small brain know how to make a hole of water." - Franklin

"I loved the little alligator Chomp-Chomp" - Julia

"I learned so many things I did not know like they have extra eyelids!" - Jacob

"I also liked how you told us how many eggs will survive and how many they lay." - Jayden

"It was very fun learning all those facts about alligators and crocodiles." - Camilo

"The stuff you do is amazing! I was telling everyone that what you do is awesome!" - Tyler

"There was a lot of interesting facts that you told, like the largest alligator." - Jessebell

"When you took out Chomp-Chomp I dropped my mouth!" - Frankie

"The alligator you brought was really scary and awesome" - Jan Carlo

"I really liked the alligator Chomp-Chomp but  I think his name should be Chompy." - Michael

"We also appreciate the game you taught us. My egg survived and now I am a hatchling." - Brandon

"Also, I thank you for playing the alligator nest game with us." - David

"My favorite part was when you made the alligator bark." - Logan

Thanks kids! 

Sincerely, Jungle Pete

Flaming Gators

The Alligator Alley portion of I-75 has been closed since Wednesday and could be closed through Friday as a brush fire continues to burn through the Big Cypress portion of the Everglades.

View Flaming Gators in a larger map

December through May marks the dry season for the Everglades and 2009 has been a continuation of a multi-year drought. Typically the Fort Myers area gets around 18 inches of rain in the dry season and so far we've had 2 inches. The map below shows the Drought Index. The grey line cutting through the pink section of southern Florida is the Alligator Alley portion of I-75 . Pink is not good and purple is about as dry as you can get. Combine dry earth and lightning strikes and/or cigarette butts flicked out of vehicles and you have a recipe for fire disasters. 

While fire is a natural part of the Everglades ecosystem, timing is everything and as the last of the nesting birds prepare to send their fledglings off into the world, a wild brush fire can be deadly to those that are not ready to leave the nest. 

For Alligators the threat is less dire and the image of flaming gators leaping from the banks of the canals along Alligator Alley is surely far fetched. Although water is hard to come by these days in the Everglades, all wise alligators are always within a few feet of water. They need it to regulate their body temperature. They need it to find prey and they use the watery canals like super-highways. 

The threat to motorists is two-fold. Alligator Alley was upgraded to a 4 lane highway in 1986, but wildfires can creep across the median and hop the road with the help of drifting ash, but the thick clouds of smoke pose the biggest threat to motorists, causing limited visibility. So for now - the interstate is closed. 

Eventually, the summer rains will return and wildfires are less likely to rage across the glades but smokers that flick a butt out the window should always be scolded - Mother Nature can start fires herself. 

Chomp-Chomp goes to School

I've been away from the classroom for too long and when I was invited to talk about Alligators for kids from Cafferata and Diplomat Elementary Schools in Cape Coral I was more than happy to do so. The gifted students were a great audience with excellent questions including a few favorites:

• How can you tell a male from a female alligator? (if there are babies and the adult is not eating them - female - otherwise it gets complicated)
• How fast can an alligator run? (up to 10 mph for a very short distance)
• Where did you get that awesome hat? (it was handmade in Cape Coral)
• How can you tell if an alligator has been fed? (illegally fed, wild alligators lose their fear of humans and will not flee in their presence)
• What are the beads of your bracelet from? (I don't know but it was a gift from a Buddhist monk)
• What eats alligators? (Everything eats baby alligators from Large-mouth Bass, Raccoons, Wood Stork and even other Alligators)

Here I'm pointing out the northern extent of the Alligator's historic range in Virginia. 

It looks like the magic trick has gone terribly wrong! Actually I was asked by a student to reveal what was in the aquarium slowly to "build the suspense". 

Of course it was a baby American Alligator and everyone was wildly excited. Chomp-Chomp was spending his/her first day at school showing off with a ferocious bark - ok not so ferocious but if you heard that noise in the wild - look out for mama. 

Chomp-Chomp is not a pet but works for the Everglades Day Safari like me. We enjoyed getting away from the swamp for a day. Thanks to Mrs. Taylor (for the invitation and photos) and the kids from Cafferata and Diplomat Elementary. I hope they had as much fun as I did. 

Swim with Caution

I would never think of swimming with alligators. Which isn't to say that I haven't been in the water with them. I've been in canoes and have had them swim under me. I've waded in thigh high water with them nearby. But I won't swim with them. When I was 3 years old, a 16-year old girl was attacked and drowned while swimming in this pond at Oscar Sherer State Park in Osprey, Florida. That was 35 years ago. Since that time there have been 20 other fatalities from alligator attacks in the United States.

During school outings and community events over the next few years, that fatality would haunt me. Alligators were few and far between in the 70's. They were endangered and numbered around 10,000 in the state compared to their historic numbers which have been estimated to be 4 million in Florida alone. But it hadn't occurred to me that this was a rare incident - an unfortunate accident. In my head, alligators were bad and this was a bad park.

When you consider that 40,000 people are murdered annually in the United States, it puts into perspective the causalities from alligators, let alone any wild animal. That's not to say that we should ignore the threat, but respect the animal and its natural behaviors. Typically people are too big for an alligator to consider as a meal, but on rare occasions they bite off more than they can literally chew. In fact alligators can't even chew. They chomp. But I digress. Today there are more people in Florida than ever and alligator populations are estimated at around 2 million. That means more alligator and human interactions.

At least 13 of the 21 fatalities from alligator attacks happened while swimming. When you swim you tend to splash and thrash. An alligator may perceive it to be an wounded animal - an easy meal. I don't swim with caution around alligators. I just don't swim around alligators at all.

Dolphin Heads! - Get Your Dolphin Heads!

Why is it you can go to just about any tacky gift shop in Florida and get an Alligator head but for some reason I've never seen Dolphin heads for purchase?

They're all real. We spotted these in a gift shop that lured Ma-Le in with "Free Freshly Squeezed Juice!" They were out of juice but had plenty of dead gator heads.