I have been watching a momma gator bring out her new batch that were probably about 6 or 8 weeks old. It was beautiful because mom would simply stay near as the youngsters started to explore. When first born, there can be between 60 to 100 baby gators and I once a long time ago came upon a batch of 60 to 80 new borns with a dear friend of mine on the Wekiva River in Seminole County. They were all together is a mass about the size of a small bed mattress. We enjoyed, did not harass them for about 30 minutes when mom gave the bottom of our boat a bump to remind us she was near. Because we were not molesting them or doing anything that may hurt them, she was only being a good mom and not trying to shoo us away. It was very special and over the next few months we followed them as they went into back water creeks to learn to live. With a gator it is eat or be eaten and the survival rate is about 1 out of 100, so you can picture the awe we had that day. At Saw Grass Park, there were a clutch of gators born to a mom about 6 to 8 weeks ago and she had started bringing them out to explore. I had already seen some Herons in the shore behind some bushes, probably feeding on many of the potential survivors. Well, I was out there on the 26th and the news was bad. There are a couple of 1 and 1/2 and 2 year olds in the area and they will eat their own also, even when related. Sadly the 6 inch ones I had seen a few days before were gone and mom was desperately looking for them on Saturday. I say this because when they were exploring, she simply would stay put and on guard, but Saturday, you could tell she was looking in vain for any remaining babies. When I had come to FL in the 60s to visit, the population had totally crashed but as said above they have a clutch size of between 60 and 100; with the sad caveat that of those potential 100, only one might make it. The mom was about 7 feet long and it was a sight to see the love of a mother that has the brain about the size of a pecan, yet the instincts of a mother. They are know to carry each baby in their mouth to a safe place and although the mom kid time is short, for a reptile, it is special to see. The Alligator/Crocodile family is older than the dinosaurs and they have survived things we cant imagine, except us. Some cracker was all excited that he bagged a 15 foot gator a while back, I was heart broken. A reptile unlike a bird or a mammal will continue to grow as long as it lives. A 15 foot gator is more than likely about 120 to 145 years old. But we hunt them because they want to stay in the new sub division that the most invasive species put everywhere in this state. Wekiva was very special, I even saw a Panther there in 84 in the woods off Markum Woods Road. That is impossible today, in the late 90s Seminole County decided to allows for 1/4 acre zoning where it had always been 5 acres or more. My last trip to the park was heart breaking, there had been an invasion of Pine Beetles and where I use to bear spot many a day and night is now a Bare Spot, which will take centuries to return. I am going to try to find the best shots to share concerning this saga, and to add shit to a crap pie, there is an outdoor shooting range directly attached to the water of this very special refuge in the sprawl known as St. Pete and Clearwater. I cant tell you how close to God I feel when I see the creations and the nature at this park. I have seen birds of all flavors, frogs, snakes, butterflies, gators, mud puppies, racoons, otters, turtles, gopher tortoises, gar pikes, bass and otters. They also claim to have bob cats, but I have yet to see one. But when I do, you will know. The last two pics are of one of the babies before they were no more. :( But nature when it works is like that. The gators keep the stripes till about 3 years old. I use to love going in the back rivers and watching the little ones learn to survive. Often you could tell which were the alphas. I was so sad seeing the mom hopelessly looking for the babies she was teaching the facts of life to. I hope you see the pathos, the joy and the wonder of life as I do. We are blessed, but it is a choice we must make to fulfill. The greatest gift, which does give us purpose and meaning is we can appreciate this gift on a level that only the One would be able to appreciate. So when you see the works, it is your choice. One man decided to put a shooting range, and we have more than enough in FL that are indoors. But his abuts this reserve and the lead in the water alone, will take its toll as it moves up to the apex predators. Remember that is us.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 06:44:06 +0000
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