Alligators...we learned a few things about gators that I will share just because it will also help me remember😍
Some informal facts: They can live up to 40 years in the wild and can grow to ten to fifteen feet, but the females usually don't grow past nine feet. The mother can lay from 30 -50 eggs on a nest made of decaying organic matter that will naturally heat the nest. The cooler eggs will become females and the hotter eggs will become males. The female will protect the hatching from one to three years from predators.
The alligator is cold-blooded so it must control body temps by using the sun and or the water. The scutes, armour plates, on the top act as solar shields and help to maintain the body heat. Although the gator only eats every week or two, it must have a body temp of 82 degrees for the food to digest. The jaw of an alligator has the strength of 2000 pounds so can easily crush a large turtle or bone material.
Another thing we learned about was something called Periphyton. The sign explains the nature and importance of this substance. We were encouraged to feel it, squeeze it and smell it! The stuff of life.
Some fun miscellaneous items...
We saw a flock of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers around the gate into the park. A real thrill!
Red-bellied Woodpecker
We saw this sign in lots of places. Watch out for the vultures!
Mangroves around West Lake
One Dwarf Bald Cypress on the "river of grass"
Tone on the Manogany Hammock Boardwalk
A wonderful view over the Everglades
Well, we saw three rattlesnakes going in and out of our campground. The weather turned hot during our second week and it really brought out more birds and snakes. This snake is warming itself on the tar of the road. We saw a much bigger one the day before but missed the picture. It really is beautiful.
The sunset on the final night at Long Pine from our site. We had enjoyed an amazing two weeks in this wonderful place.
There was a thrill in being here that I can only hope you capture from some of the pictures.
My heart sings!
I am so grateful for this wonderful National Park and as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NPS (August 25, 2016) I want to extend my gratitude to all the visionaries who created these areas with their dreams, resources and ideals, to all the staff who protect and educate each generation, and in particular, to the volunteers who make many of these wild places continue to thrive.
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