The Sheer Size of Alligators & Crocodiles at Edisto Island Serpentarium is Mind Boggling by Karen
- Karen Marts
- Jun 19, 2019
- 6 min read
Hello Everyone:
A few weeks ago my good friend and neighbor, Lori, joined me on a trip to the Edisto Island Serpentarium. Edisto Island Serpentarium was the first true Serpentarium in South Carolina. According to their website, the facility is dedicated to the recognition, preservation, and study of the world of reptiles. Opened seasonally, visitors can take a field trip during the fall on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, up through October. Put this on your must-see list for the spring. There are fantastic displays of reptiles native to the region, as well as from around the world. After enjoying the gift shop, the atrium with tropical snakes, and a wonderful snake lecture by Anne, we proceeded to work our way around the outdoor exhibits. Although birds are my favorite animals to write about, alligators and crocodiles come in a close second.
Thanks to the dynamic American Alligator feeding presentation and lecture by Michael, the Curator for the last 8 years, Lori and I became alligator experts! Michael quickly pointed out that the Edisto Island Serpentarium feeds their alligators twice a day, and he says, “as you can tell, they have been over served!” He mentioned that the alligators on site are several 100 pounds heavier than those found in the wild. See my video below, titled The SHEER SIZE of 5 Alligators in Mind Boggling! The heads of these prehistoric animals were huge! Their forearms and back legs were extremely muscular, their torsos had a thick girth, and their tails were rather long. The value of the videos below is the ability to study the reptiles in detail, from the pronounced scales, to the long claws and white nails. Males are typically larger, and are called bulls. Michael mentioned that in the alligator pool, there is a dominant male. I feverishly took notes while he spoke before a captivated audience, and then listened to the videos later to write down all the facts.
American Alligators are etcothermal, meaning the animals will be within a degree or two of whatever their surrounding environment is. The reptiles do not move around a lot, as they have to conserve energy. Their scutes, or bony plates on their backs, will hold in heat longer and more efficiently than their flesh could. The scutes serve as built-in solar panels, and as protection from predators, especially when they are smaller. During the winter, when the temperature drops below 70 degrees, the alligators cannot eat anything because they quit producing digestive enzymes. They will go the entire winter without a meal, and live off the fat stores in their tails and jowls. Their eyes and nostrils are located on top of their skulls. This is so they can barely break the surface of the water. They will take a breath of air, take a look around to make sure it is safe to come out, and then bask in the sun or hunt for food. The American Alligator is one of 24 species of Crocodilians in the world, and 1 of 2 species that are found in the USA. The American Crocodile is the second species, and it can be found very far south, as in the Florida region. Their diet is varied, and they will eat just about anything. When they are young, they consume bugs, small fish and frogs, baby snakes and baby turtles. When they become larger reptiles, they hunt raccoons, opossums, otters, beavers, and can even jump up and grab birds out of low lying limbs.
Michael started working at the Serpentarium when he was 14 years old. He has a true gift of communication, and it is evident he enjoys working with the alligators. He said alligators will stay under water 8-10 hours at a time, just coming up for a breath of air here and there. They have a 4-chambered heart, and can smell water half a mile away. The reptiles can create a gator hole. We’ve all heard the term, but basically the alligator is looking for fresh water, and it also helps out many other species. One of the most interesting things I learned was that American Alligators do not have vision like ours. They cannot see directly in front of themselves, or behind themselves, rather their vision is out to the side. It is similar to our peripheral vision. Gators have an upper and lower eyelid, as well as a 3rd eyelid called the nictitating membrane. The membrane works like a pair of goggles would for us...the alligators can see through the clear lid, but their eyes are protected. Even more fascinating, alligators can drop their eyes into a hollow socket for more protection. If another alligator started fighting it, or if a fish is flopping around after capture, the socket would protect the eyes. There is a slit behind the eyes, which is the ear. Alligators can detect vibrations. They have 80 teeth, and will shed them as they become worn, sometimes going through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime!
April through June is mating season. A female will build a nest, raking backwards a tremendous pile of vegetation, sticks, and mud, 4-6 feet wide. She will dig a hole, deposit the eggs, from 10 to 60. After a 65 day incubation, she will hear a barking sound, and dig out the babies. Alligators have tremendous jaw strength, yet the female is able to pick up the 8-10 inch fragile babies that come out of an egg no larger than a chicken egg. She’ll carry them down to the water, and it’s her job to protect the babies for the first couple of years. Everything eats a baby gator: raccoons, opossums, birds of prey, wading birds, turtles, fish, snakes, other alligators, and even bullfrogs on occasion.
Alligators are being studied for their immune system. There was a lake in Florida that was contaminated to the point where only carp could survive. Anything that ate the carp died. Alligators would eat the carp, which destroyed Vitamin B1 in their bodies. Holes would form in their brains, they would become paralyzed, and drown. While scientists were trying to figure out the cause of this oddity, 30 separate diseases were tested on the alligators, including staph infection, and flesh eating bacteria. All of these diseases died out when placed in alligator blood. Perhaps one day humans will be receiving American Alligator blood transfusions!
Later we visited Magnolia, the albino alligator. Albinism is a genetic disorder where melanin is not produced. This causes the skin to be white or yellow, and the eyes of the animal will be pink or red, because of the underlying blood vessels. Without camouflage to hide from predators, and a sensitivity to the sun’s UV rays, most albinos would not survive in the wild. We also saw Brown Caimans, which are large aquatic reptiles found in swamps and rivers of both Central and South America. A Nile Crocodile stood on its hind legs in the pool, all too wary of his surroundings. Lastly we saw the West African Dwarf Crocodile, the smallest of Crocodilians. The Edisto Island Serpentarium is a world-class facility with amazing displays of snakes, turtles, and tortoises, along with the alligators and crocodiles. It was an amazing day of learning!
Massive Alligator Missing Toes & Second Gator Opens Jaws Wide! Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Guest Video by Lori & FASCINATING FACTS on American Alligator Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Unbelievable Long Nails on American Alligator! Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Amazing American Alligator Claw Black Water Slough Edisto Island Serpentarium
Karen Marts Holds 2 Year Old American Alligator at Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Bart the Black Vulture & Michael Provides Fascinating Information on American Alligator Eyes Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Huge Muscular American Alligators! Alligator Alley at Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Baby Alligators are Prey Food for Many Animals Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
The SHEER SIZE of 5 Alligators is Mind Boggling! Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Guest Photographer Lori at Alligator Alley & Scientific Facts Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Enormous Bull Alligator Lumbers in Grass & Ectothermal Info Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Michael Educates the Public on American Alligator Eyes & Nostrils Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Nile Crocodile Stands on 2 Legs in Swimming Pool! Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Cool Facts About Alligators & 2 Broad Bodied Reptiles Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Edisto Island Serpentarium & Gift Shop in South Carolina
American Alligator Drags Heavy Tail into Pool! Edisto Island Serpentarium
A Very Special Albino Alligator Named Magnolia at Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Awesome Albino Alligator Named Magnolia Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Michael Shares Info on Digestive Enzymes in Alligators Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Spectators are Excited to See Michael Feed American Alligators Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
5 Alligators Wait in Anticipation for Michael to Feed Them Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
American Alligators Rest in Pool After Feeding Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Brown Caimans Posed for Action in Outdoor Exhibit Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Bart the Black Vulture Listens to Lecture on Alligator Diet Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
West African Dwarf Crocodile is Smallest Crocodilian Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Yellow & Pink Mouth Wide Open as Alligator Focuses on Feeding! Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Brown Caimans Found in Swamps & Rivers Central & S. American Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Bart the Black Vulture & Companion Get Snack Edisto Island Serpentarium, SC
Have a great evening,
Karen Marts and Freedom the Parrot
Hilton Head Island, SC
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