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.

No Plans

You know those people who go through life without a plan? Just make it up as they go? And when life goes awry they expect someone else to come along and flip them over? The following is a perfect example of bad planning. The turtle must have believed the water would always be there. But what if someone pulls the plug? What if the water runs out?

We filled the pool back up and Mr. Red-eared Slider flipped himself back over. He probably could have done so without the water. Turtles have long, strong necks and are quite flexible.

What will we do when the water runs out? There are over 6 million people in south Florida. Most of our drinking water comes from an shallow aquifer that is recharged by rainwater. If we continue to consume more water than is replaced in the aquifer we face certain ecological disaster. Some have suggested we need to sacrifice so that the environment might benefit. I disagree. I think we simply need to live responsibly. Here's a few ways (from the South Florida Water Management District) and they work pretty much anywhere you may live.

• plant native vegetation that does require excessive watering. Fabulous, lush green lawns are still the costly, wasteful norm and people get so upset when it browns
• wash your car less often. If you use a car wash - make sure they recycle water
• make sure your home is free from leaky pipes and dripping faucets - one drop per second wastes 2700 gallons of water a year. Plus the dripping is torturous
• since I replaced the flapper on the toilet the water bill has been halved each month
• get out of the shower sooner and use a low-flow showerhead. 4 out 5 people are clean within the first 4 minutes.
• collect water during your shower to water your plants. Don't pee in the bucket.
• turn the water off while you brush your teeth. or don't brush your teeth. I'd rather someone was toothless than have them waste water.
• Don't flush just because you tossed a bug in the toilet. Come on! ("But it was a spider") They will crawl back up.
• use a rain barrel to collect water for other uses. My family did this when I was younger except it was to collect water that was coming through a hole in the roof.
• ask restaurants to only serve water on request or simply don't go to restaurants that put water out for every guest.
• Encourage responsible growth in your community that minimizes paved surfaces that prevent water from percolating into the aquifer.

The water will run out at the rate we are going. There are far too many people here and most have bad habits. It's not a sacrifice to do any of the above. It's simply responsible. We have to plan for today and tomorrow or we end up turned over on our shell and sitting in the sun.

Have other water saving ideas? Press the COMMENTS button on the bottom of the page.

Balloons for Grandma

Lie to your kids. It amuses me.

I was hiking in the Everglades two weeks ago and spotted a shiny object floating between two Cypress trees deep in the far reaches of the swamp. It was a Mylar balloon and the metallic exterior shimmered and reflected the rare sunbeam that broke through the dense forest canopy. It reminded me that no place is far enough away from the hand of humanity.

This is what happens to some of the balloons that get away from kids. My niece lost a balloon a few months ago and my sister told her not to cry - the balloon was floating away and grandma would get it. Presumably my sister thinks our mother lives in space since passing on 2 years ago. The situation repeated itself a few months later and Tara reminded Peyton once again that the balloon was headed up to Grandma. When Peyton lost another balloon recently Tara once again calmed the greasy-fingered kid and told her not to worry - and you know the rest. The apparently agitated three year old had had enough of this explanation and demanded to know what Grandma was doing with all of her balloons. I can only hope she's having a rockin' party.

I think parents feel the need to make up the balloon story for a few reasons. The first being that many balloons float back to earth where lucky little kids get to frolic with your kid's lost balloon. Explain that to a kid.

Another is that many balloons return to earth as litter - disrupting a wilderness slog through the swamp or falling into an ocean where a confused turtle will attempt to eat it - thinking it's a jellyfish. Telling your kid that Crush choked on their balloon is generally upsetting.

And finally - the idea that an 8-armed alien holding a bouquet of your kid's balloon on the moon is simply creepy and would freak them out.

So instead - lie to them - it works for so many other things. And hey Peyton - you keep making that face and you'll turn into a monkey.

Happy 66th Birthday Mom - wherever you are.

Turtle Speed Bumps

When given the opportunity, most of us would avoid running over an animal with our vehicle but this is not a universal sentiment.

A few days ago I stopped to rescue a Softshell Turtle that had been hit. I could see it in the road from about 1/2 a mile away and yet car after car passed it by without care. It was clearly struggling and when I stopped, to the annoyance of a vehicle that was forced to change lanes and go around me (SORRY - grrr), I could see that the turtle's back half was crushed. It could not survive but I could see the flies, ants and mosquitoes already starting to congregate and still the turtle desperately attempted to drag itself across the road.

I gently placed the turtle in a reusable shopping bag and tucked it into the back of my new car (and selfishly hoped it would not move around and make a mess). I was on my way to Sanibel Island and knowing there is an animal rehab center out there, I called them and let them know I was coming in.

I was pessimistic when I handed the poor turtle over to them. They gave me a phone number and told me I could call and check back but I didn't. There's no way it could have survived. But they said if they could not help her they would put her down to prevent further suffering.

In the clinic I noticed an Endangered Gopher Tortoise shuffling around, its carapace (upper shell) caved in from a serious accident.

The turtle had been brought in and miraculously rehabed to the point where it will be able to be returned to the wild soon. So it was heartening to see a success story in person.

Humans can be compassionate for each other and for the natural world but there are so many that are cruel and ambivalent towards nature. I can't imagine how anyone can hit a turtle and leave it (or any wildlife for that matter).

I'm grateful for the volunteers and staff members of C.R.O.W (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) for all of their efforts and have become a member to help them continue to do great work.

Whether a snake, turtle, raccoon, opossum, deer or any other creature - they aren't speed bumps and we all need to slow down a little and give them a chance.

Water Taxi - Ride the Goose

Fort Lauderdale is famous for water taxis that shuttle people around Venice's sister city. Turtles apparently receive similar services.

I walked past the following scene today - dismissed it and continued on. In my head I saw a Turtle decoy on top of a Goose decoy. Then the Turtle waved a back leg and I realized that the nimble little cooter had clambered up on the floating bird to bask in the sun. I didn't dare get closer in fear he'd flee and give up the best basking spot a reptile could ask for. It must have taken the poor thing all morning to reach that plateau! Just imagine the difficulty in that maneuver. I would think it'd be easier to catch a greased pig!