The Alligator

The Alligator
(Alligator mississippiensis)
January 10, 2009

After settling into the guest house we did a bit of exploring. It didn't take long to find one of the resident alligators! The larger pond was on the other side of the club house just before a small bridge on the main road going out of the park. What caught my attention was the deep turquoise colour of the water that was a striking contrast to the other brownish green colour of the other ponds. I immediately spotted the alligator and he was a beauty. I think it was a he because it was a solitary alligator with no signs of other alligators. I took several pictures from the comforts of the car ;) We saw the alligator daily during our stay with the exception of the last day when we left early. During the mornings when the sun was on the side of the pond in the picture he sat sunning himself. In the afternoons he would sun on the opposite side of the pond. Later in the week the weather turned a bit cooler so he sat on the afternoon shore just under the water with only his head and a bit of his back showing.

Alligators are cold blooded so like to warm themselves in the sun. There are several ponds on the Cypress Lakes grounds all with the potential for alligator habitats. We spoke with several residents of the park about the alligators. Those who golf know alligators are in the ponds along the golf courses. For the most part the alligators are said to not be docile rather than aggressive and will walk or swim away from you if approached unless they are provoked. Feeding alligators within 500 ft of a residential area is prohibited but is not illegal at greater distances. It is not recommended feeding alligators as they will lose their fear of humans possibly becoming a problem. I decided to enjoy our alligator friend from a distance and not get too close to any of the ponds just to be on the safe side!

Garden Gnome
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