Many people have seen programs on television showing crocodiles attacking large animals like deer and cattle. While this is amazing, and sometimes horrifying, those 
creatures are not alligators. Crocodiles' jaws are a bit different than alligators' jaws, and are used differently. Alligators favor prey items that will fit inside their head.
That is, if they can swallow it whole, then they will normally attack it. Alligators sometimes eat deer in the park, but the larger ones were probably found carcasses, 
but small fawns might have been live captures. Alligators have eaten large nutria (as I've shown on this website). But, most of the time, they will eat things like small fish,
frogs, and crayfish. Snakes and turtles are also pursued, with alligators seeming to be especially well-adapted for eating turtles. A study done in Texas examined
the stomach contents of about 50 alligators (which were unharmed). Research showed that only one of these alligators had eaten a bird (which couldn't be identified, 
it might have already been carrion when taken), and the rest had stomach full of small fish and shellfish.  I've seen 11-foot alligators going after prey that was no larger
than their largest teeth (very small frogs and fish).

12/29/2019  At about 10:30AM I got to the Spillway Bridge just after an alligator had surfaced with a small turtle in its mouth. I watched it for about 45 minutes, but after
a few short attempts at crushing the turtle, the alligator didn't move.  So, I continued West, to where the baby alligators were. Seeing the alligator eating was a bit of surprise,
since the evening before had been quite chilly (it was about 48 degrees F when at 8am).  I checked the air temperature while I was watching the alligator, and it was about 54 degrees F.
So here's another example of an alligator eating when the outside temperature is below 60. I've already written some about this subject on one of my other pages here.  Here are
three pictures of the alligator with turtle. (one just showing the thermometer).  I found out that the alligator finally did crush and eat the turtle...about an hour later; when
some people who'd just witnessed it described it to me on the trail.

    

04/21/2019   Alligators impress many people with their size and fearsome appearance. People often assume that larger alligators often eat large prey.  Alligators do sometimes eat large
prey, but prefer to eat prey that they can catch, process, and swallow easily.  Large prey items need to be broken into smaller pieces that can be swallowed. One method alligators use is
"twist-feeding".  The twist-feeding behavior-sometimes called a "death roll"-is often referred to; but I have rarely seen this in practice. Twist-feeding is usually a reflexive behavior triggered
by resistance encountered by an alligator when its jaws clamp on an object.  That is, if the alligator grabs an object and pulls--and the object doesn't move with the alligator--the twist 
behavior is triggered. 
Alligators are very strong, and it's a rare object that does NOT move when an alligator tugs on it.  Alligators will eat prey of all sizes, and occasionally they will find something that cannot be
swallowed whole--even after a long day (or more) of chewing on it.  When this happens, the prey has to be broken up somehow, but twist-feeding won't work because the prey is too
small--it just spins with the alligator. So, an alligator uses a combination of chewing and prey-whipping to fragment the carcass. This involves crushing the carcass with the jaws alternated
with periods of rest.  Rest periods with no movement can be 5 to 30 minutes long.  During this time, the carcass is occasionally repositioned in the jaws. This allows the entire carcass to
be crushed over time.  Eventually, the alligator will begin to "whip" the carcass. To do this, while pushing up with its forelegs, the alligator lifts its head (and the carcass) as high as possible.
  Then it turns its head to the side, which moves the carcass into position for the "throw".  The alligator lets its body fall forward and to the side (opposite to the direction it turned its snout).
Suddenly stopping the body's forward motion, the snout (still holding tightly to the carcass) is flung forward across the body. This slings the carcass around in an arc.  As the carcass moves
across, the snout is then jerked back the the other way--along with shifting the body. This pulls the clamped portion of the carcass back while the far end continues in the direction it had
started. Slack disappears and the portion clamped in the jaws is pulled sharply against the mass of the traveling carcass in a "whip-crack" effect.  Over time, as the carcass is weakened,
the carcass eventually pulls apart, and the alligator is usually left with a portion of the carcass still in its jaws.  Once the form of the carcass has been compromised (the skin which had held
it together is torn) it becomes easier to turn into fragments small enough to swallow.  I have not been able to find any account of this prey-whipping process in "the literature" anywhere, so
the previous description is from my own observations over the years.  On April 21, 2019, I was able to watch an alligator with the carcass of a nutria--for about 2 and a half hours. During
this time, I was able to watch the alligator, and share the experience with the many park visitors who came by.  The alligator was close to the long bridge over the Spillway.  During that time,
I observed many repetitions of the activities described above--and was able to document some of them with bursts of photos, or video shot at normal frame rate (60fps) and high frame
rate (480 fps).  Those photos and clips appear in this video (mp4). The images below are from one of the "burst" shots of photos. I have some good examples of twist-feeding and 
prey-whipping on this page( there's twist-feeding used on a deer carcass; and prey-whipping of nutria) ; on this page (a large fish is whipped);  on this page  (an alligator carcass is
whipped); this page (another alligator is whipped); and finally this page (another alligator carcass is whipped).

   
                         Lift 001                                                  Lift 002                                                    Lift 003                                                       Lift 004
   
                 Prepare to throw 01                                   Prepare to throw 02                                       Drop and throw 01                                    Drop and throw 02
   
                    Drop and throw 03                               Pull back and whip 01                                 Pull back and whip 02                                   Pull back and whip 03   
   
        Allow the carcass to stop 01                            Allow the carcass to stop 02                      Allow the carcass to stop 03                        Allow the carcass to stop 04
This nutria carcass did eventually start to tear, but I probably won't post those pictures here (although it does show in the video).  Soon after that happened, the alligator
moved off with the nutria, and I didn't see any more of it.

09/23/2018   I saw another group of alligators feeding at BBSP this morning.  As I've seen before, the water had a lot of plants growing under it and on the surface. The were alligators
scattered about, and occasionally  one would rear up and pounce at some unidentifiable prey. The images and video are somewhat dark because this activity was happening in the shade,
at about 9:00 am--and alligators dispersed at around 10 am.
I believe that all of this is the result of excessive oxygen consumption overnight by the aquatic plant life. This causes a low oxygen condition in the water, which would drive fish to the
surface; where the alligators (and other predators) are waiting. As the sun rises higher in the sky, more plants are exposed to the light, and the oxygen levels begin to rise. The fish stop
coming to the surface, and the "party" breaks up.  At least, that's my theory. Over the years, I've received many reports of these "gatherings" while on the trails--and they've often been
over by the time I made it to the area.  Also, the few times I've witnessed a gathering myself, the gathering has broken up as I've described. I submit this hypothesis as an explanation.
I have another example of such a gathering in this video clip--shot earlier this year(mp4)--5/27/18. Someday, I'll expand the story onto a page here. There's a lot happening in the video,
and it's worth a look.  If you look at that video clip, notice the surface of the water...and compare it with what's here. The high density of floating plant life shows in both cases.
The images below are from this short video clip(mp4) that shows some of the alligators in action.  These images show how an alligator uses its tail as a brace for a backwards grab. It
starts pushing against the water sideways while turning back with its head.

 
 
  

01/21/2018 . I was on the North loop 40 Acre Lake trail, not far from the Observation tower, when I noticed movement about 75 yards away on one the the islands.  When I checked through
my binoculars, I saw that it was an  large alligator--I estimate at least 6-7 feet long--with a large fish in its mouth. I say *large* fish, because I could that something hanging from the alligator's
jaws from 75 yards away without visual aid. Only with binoculars could I tell it was a fish. I moved a few yards closer, but wanted to maintain a profile view.  Then I watched the alligator for a
while as it worked on the fish. As usual, the alligator occasionally lifted its head, crushed and/or shook the fish, and then rested for 15 minutes or so before doing it again. I watched the
alligator for about 45 minutes, until it had all of the fish in its jaws, then moved onto the island to rest.  

The images below are photos--and some frame grabs from the video I shot.  The video is here(mp4).

    
 
  

They are cropped, and at least show what the alligator was up to. Also...the fish is NOT a gar, or bowfin, but flattened from the sides (like a bluegill).  The cropped video is a bit clearer, and
it looks to me like both the dorsal fin and the anal fin have long trailing edges. That makes me think the the fish is a very large tilapia. (this is a blue tilapia )  Tilapia are invasive in Texas 
waters...so GO GATOR!!  But...hold on a minute.  Hadn't we just had a couple weeks of near-freezing temperatures (within 10 degrees above and below 32 degrees F-see graphs from about 6
mi. from BBSP below)?  And aren't alligators ectothermic (or poikilothermic)?





Isn't it true that an alligator's internal temperature needs to be around 70 F for its metabolism to work properly...such as in digestion--or even moving around?  What the heck is motivating that
alligator?  Well...the air temperature I measured while I was watching the alligator was 60 F and rising ( I often carry a thermometer in my pocket--and yes I let it cool down in the air before 
reading it.) Also, I have no idea what the water temperature was.  I can only guess that the water had become colder than the air, and that's why the alligators were coming out of the 
water--even though the day was overcast.  Some information can be found in an excellent book published in 2015: Biology and Evolution of Crocodylians by Gordon Grigg and David 
Kirshner.  An entire chapter talks about this: Chapter 10 Thermal Relations p.337 - 389 
Within that is a part relating to American Alligators:  Body Temperature Patterns in the American Alligator p. 355  which relies heavily on this study:
 "Body Temperature Null Distributions in Reptiles with Nonzero Heat Capacity: Seasonal Thermoregulation in the American Alligator" which I found here.  This is from the book:
There are many ways for thermal energy to transfer to and from an alligator.   "In most crocodylians, the sun is their major source of warmth and they use it or avoid it
in diverse ways, some quite subtle."  (P. 360)  Crocodylians heat more rapidly than they cool  (p. 362)  through control of blood flow.
1) basking --moving in and out of water--energy from sun, conduction from warm air, water, or ground. but they can also adjust the rate of change by how much of the body is submerged  (p. 361)
2) There is good evidence for use of osetoderms as "solar panels" .  They are suffused with blood vessels and do gather heat.  (p. 362)
3) Gaping has negligible effect on overall body temp, but does function well to keep head temperature stable. The Head can also be cooled by evaporative cooling thru moisture in the 
nasal passages.  (p. 371)
Basically, what I'm saying here is that there is a complex relationship between environmental conditions, alligator size, and alligator behavior that controls how warm an alligator might be.
 But, I suspect that still doesn't explain how this (or other) alligators have been observed being active (and feeding!) during cold weather.
There's another very interesting ability that has been observed in reptiles (including alligators) that may explain what's going on here. I first read about it in a great book about snakes 
published in 2014:  How Snakes Work: Structure, Function and Behavior of the World's Snakes, by Harvey B. Lillywhite.
I found this on page 110 in that book: 
"Preferred body temperatures of snakes may undergo seasonal changes and can be modified by changes in physiological factors or the physical environment.  Acclimation is a reversible
change in a character that results from a prolonged change in the environment, especially temperature. In scientific literature,  the term acclimation refers to such changes when they are 
introduced in the laboratory, whereas the term acclimatization is used to describe such changes that go forward naturally in a wild animal's environment."  Acclimatization (with a "z") allows
snakes to function in temperatures below (or above) their usual range.  There is a limit to the range of allowable temperature change,
and the length of time this can be tolerated--but it has been observed. 
In the Crocodylian book, there is also reference to "thermal acclimatisation (seasonal biochemical adjustments) p. 373" (with an "s").  The book states that there is strong evidence that
various crocodylians use this behavior to function during seasonal changes. There is also at least one study available online here:
Seasonal acclimatisation of muscle metabolic enzymes in a reptile (Alligator mississippiensis).
There is still more study to be done about these relationships, but this is at least another possible explanation for what we are seeing here during the winter.  

April 19, 2015-- After the heavy rains that came last Friday and Saturday, I was looking forward to seeing what BBSP looked like. I wasn't disappointed. Water levels in the lakes high, and
water moved slowly under the Spillway Bridge, since Pilant Lake was almost the same level as Pilant Slough. All the rain probably lowered the general water temperature; and it also covered
much of the lower banks of the islands and around the lakes. And the Sun was bright. So....this meant that many alligators were out of the water, and near the trails. There were many 
sightings of alligators crossing trails.  During conditions like these, it is especially important for visitors to be aware of "alligator etiquette", and there are many opportunities for "teachable 
moments"; especially for those of us doing Trail Interpretation. After all, we are right there with the alligators and the visitors at the same time.
The two photographers were actually concentrating on a large alligator on the bank of Elm Lake when this one began crossing the trail behind them. I called out an alert, and they turned 
around to watch (and film) the crossing. Meanwhile, the gator crossed until it got close to the other, larger one. *I* expected some kind of interaction, but nothing immediately happened. But,then,
without any signal I could see (otherwise I'd have filmed it), the large one rushed the smaller one (still about 7' long), causing it to submerge and swim off. This sudden burst of motion is hard to
catch (because there isn't much warning), but is a definite demonstration of how quickly an annoyed gator can move. The larger gator returned to the bank, but not before lying in the water and
swishing end off its tail back-and-forth (much like an annoyed cat does), before it slid back up on the bank. It appeared that it just wanted the nice basking spot for itself--no sharing.  I've
edited photos and video into short clips:  Click the link to see it--Gator Walking(mp4)  
        
            MORNING WALK ON THE TRAIL                             WATCHING THE ONE ALREADY THERE                   ANNOYED AND THRASHING TAIL                      

Then there was the group of gators in front of the composting restrooms. The new front deck made a handy path around the gators. There, also, was a nice shallow bank for the gators to bask on.
I saw another minor disagreement between 2 gators there, also.  When one of the John Deere vehicles drove by, 2 of the alligators slid into the water. But , after just a few minutes, one of the gators
slid back up on the grass. However, this was in the spot where the larger gator had been basking. The larger alligator came back to the bank, and looked at the gator on the grass for a few minutes.
 When the staring didn't work, it moved into "head oblique/tail arched" posture...and then did a loud headslap. This did not impress the other alligator, which gave a low growl. The larger gator then
settled for moving up onto the grass right next to the "good spot:"  I've edited photos and video into short clips:  Click the links to see it--Gators Basking-argue(mp4)   
       
               GATORS BY THE BATHROOMS                               LOOKING DOWN FROM THE DECK                               HEY! YOU TOOK MY SPOT!                                          THE HEADSLAP

Then at about 12 pm, I was on walking towards New Horseshoe Lake when I noticed a group of about 10 people looking down into the lake. When I got there, I saw that a large alligator had a deer 
carcass in its jaws. I was happy to see that most of the park visitors were giving the alligator a lot of room.  I watched and was able to talk about how the alligator would probably deal with the carcass
(it was NOT a small fawn). I didn't see many other alligators around, but there was another large on on the bank nearby. I suggested that the gator with the carcass was probably trying to leave the New
Horseshoe to get into Elm...mostly to keep the carcass for itself. I also told those visitors who remained nearby that the we should stay out of the direct path of the alligator, and give it lots of space.
If we did those things, we'd probably see the alligator cross with the carcass. And...the alligator *did* start across....a couple times. But each time it lifted its head (with dangling carcass) and began to
walk, it would step on the carcass....and of course didn't get far. Then it would stop and rest a few minutes more. Finally, the alligator did an odd sort of "plowing" movement and pushed the carcass
and slid it forward.
        
  NEARER THE WATER IN NEW HORSESHOE LAKE            MOVING UP ONTO THE LEVEL GRASS                  STARTING TO SLIDE ACROSS THE TRAIL  
The attached pictures show some of this...and I attached the animated gifs to show the movement. During all of this, I was able to share my theme of how alligators don't have it easy--even as "apex predators".
  I pointed out the effort the alligator was expending just to keep its meal--and also that it could take days for the gator to even be able to get it into pieces small enough to eat.
The alligator finally got into Elm Lake, and swam off with the carcass. One thing I forgot to do was take an immediate length estimate by using my walking stick. But, compare the length of the alligator with
the width of the trail. I thought the deer was surprisingly large, and could only guess at how the alligator had gotten it. The carcass didn't stink, and there were no flies on it--so it wasn't too old. Maybe the
high water trapped the deer?  I've edited photos and video into a short clip:  Click the link to see it--Gator with Deer(mp4)   

        
           CATCHING WITH THE LOWER JAW                                   STANDING UP TO PUSH                                FIRST PART OF THE SLIDE                  SECOND PART OF THE SLIDE   
All of this happened in just ONE day!  It was great!   

March 1,2015-- It was cold and raining, and generally uncomfortable outside. The near-80's weather that we'd had a week or so before had gone away. As I stepped on to the Spillway Bridge, I found this alligator 
with a small nutria in its mouth. After one shift in position the alligator didn't move again. When I left it, I walked to Elm Lake; and around Elm Lake. When I retured along the bridge, hours later, the alligator was in 
the same postion as when I had left it. I suspect that the lower temperatures slowed the alligator's movements. I've seen an alligator work on a nutria for hours!  While I was at Elm Lake, I stopped at the Observation
Platform, where I saw a bright red Vermilion Flycatcher that seemed to glow in the overcast grey air.

     
                  NUTRIA AT THE BRIDGE                                    NUTRIA FROM ONE SIDE                                                                    FROM THE OTHER SIDE                                                                  Vermilion Flycatcher

April 21, 2013 (update added 6/26/22)  An alligator had claimed the corner of Pilant Lake where the East end of the Spillway Trail meets Elm Lake. When that happens, 
the dominant alligator chases other alligators--and other animals that are fishing--away from that area. A week before (April 7th), a park visitor had his backback stolen when 
he'd left it on the bank while he was fishing. The alligator followed the fish the visitor had dragged out of the water, saw the backpack, and grabbed that
instead. It eventually left the backback out in the weeds.  The images below are photos and frame grabs from the video I filmed. The video is through this link (mp4). 

So today, when I saw the alligator chewing on something dark, I thought it had the backback again. That is, until the alligator shook the bundle and a huge wing
extended.  The alligator had a Great Blue Heron!  I've seen alligators chase wading birds out of their "fishing holes". I watched one alligator follow a Great Blue
Heron-that had taken a fish out of the gator's puddle-into the woods as the heron tried to eat the fish. So, I believe that this Great Blue Heron annoyed the alligator
enough for the alligator to attack it. The images below are photos and frame grabs from the video I filmed. The video is through this link (mp4). 

I've updated the entry for this event in 2022. From the time of this observation (2013) until now, I've used this event many time to illustrate a possible path for an alligator's
life. While this event may seem like a sad end for the Heron, Great Blue Herons are one of many predators that feed on baby alligators here at BBSP.  I've seen pictures taken
by park visitors of Great Blue Herons, a Great White Egret, and even an American Bittern carrying baby alligators away.  I've only seen it once, in 2006, captured in a short 
video.  I'm working on an update version of that, to include with an update for the video of this event.  The two images below are frame from that video, showing a Great Blue
Heron with a large baby alligator, just before it flew off when the mother moved toward it. 

August 28, 2011  As the water evaporated out of Pilant Lake (and the other lakes, too) at Brazos Bend State Park through our dry summer, the deeper spots
became collection areas for all kinds of aquatic life. Or, as it might sometimes be known...alligator food. The southeast corner of Pilant Lake (right near the
intersection of the Spillway Trail and the Elm Lake Trail) remained wet through the entire summer. As the water evaporated, fish and other life collected
at that Southeast corner. Through the summer, that corner became a desired feeding ground for the alligators. Early in the summer, the corner was claimed
by an 8-foot long alligator that had a big scar that ran along the left side of its head, through the eye and into the ear flap. The pictures below show this
alligator near that corner of Pilant Lake on February 20, 2001--that is, earlier this year.
-------------------------------------------
                                                                    THE SCARRED ALLIGATOR                                                    LEFT SIDE BLINDED EYE, DAMAGED EAR

However, sometime later, "Scar" was chased off by a somewhat larger alligator--one about 9 feet long. From sometime in June, this larger alligator
maintained control of the corner puddle as it dwindled in size. There were a lot of opportunities to watch alligator social interaction.
As the water became shallow throughout the park the alligators took advantage of the prey caught in the dwindling pools. There were many opportunities to
watch alligators trapping food with a technique that I call "seining".  This page of mine shows the first time I noticed this behavior, back in 2002 (with some
movie clips). Basically, the alligator uses its body as a barrier to trap prey, usually against the bank of a pond; but sometimes the alligator will "dam" a
section of water. While using its body as a barrier, the alligator may also move one of its forelegs (usually the one closest to the bank) in the water and/or
move its tail. Both of these motions can herd prey towards the alligator's head. Sometimes the alligator will move its tail from side-to-side in the swimming 
motion that normally moves the alligator through the water. But, the alligator remains standing, so this movement thrusts the water away from the alligator--
which generates a current. The alligator sometimes turns the end of its tail so that the current moves towards the alligator's head from the rear; sometimes
it pushes water away to the rear--but in a small pool, this causes the current to move in a circle and towards the front of the alligator's head. Most of the
time this is an effective technique, since most creatures seem to move where the alligator wants them to (which is eventually towards its head and jaws).
This leads to my story here. Trapped in the Southeast Corner of Pilant Lake were, among other things,  a bunch of gar. These appeared to be longnosed gar
...but there may have been some spotted gar as well. Gar, seem to be a bit more crafty than most other fish, as shown here. Although the gar *were* being
herded to some extent; beyond a certain point they figured out that they could get past the alligator. They would do this either by swimming *up onto the
mud*, and then past the alligator; or...by simply jumping over the alligator! I caught some of this activity in video with the high-speed camera. Although
the alligator was successful sometimes--sometimes it was not. At least, while there was still enough water for the gar to swim in. The images here are frame
captures from some of the video. And, here is the video clip (mp4). I enjoyed watching the daredevil gar.

----    
                          ESCAPE OVER THE TAIL
Here, the alligator was blocking off a narrower section of the pool. It moved its tail, and occasionally the right foreleg to flush the fish and panic them
enought to try to swim past the alligator's head.  This gar jumped over the safe end.

-------   
                  JUMPING GROUP OF GAR 1                                            JUMPING GROUP OF GAR 2                                     JUMPING GROUP OF GAR 3                                    JUMPING GROUP OF GAR  4
The alligator would sometimes go into the deeper spots to flush fish towards the shallower edges. Then it would move towards the edges.
The gar had other ideas here. Instead of swimming away in panic, a group of them jumped over the alligator's back. This group of 7 images
shows the jump.

---------
                       JUMPING GROUP OF GAR  5                                       JUMPING GROUP OF GAR  6                       JUMPING GROUP OF GAR  7

-------
                         FLUSHED FROM BEHIND  1                                        FLUSHED FROM BEHIND  2                                      FLUSHED FROM BEHIND  3            

    ---
                       FLUSHED FROM BEHIND  4                                        FLUSHED FROM BEHIND  5

After stirring things up in the deeper water, the alligator moved towards the edge to see what moved there. It was on the tail of a gar,
but not for long. It might possibly have caught the gar...if the gar hadn't left the water! This group of 9 images shows the jump.

----
                   FLUSHED FROM BEHIND  6                                        FLUSHED FROM BEHIND  7                                      FLUSHED FROM BEHIND  8                                       FLUSHED FROM BEHIND  9

These last 3 images show the alligator encircling an area with its body, tail, and head! In the video, trapped critters
can be seen moving around in the trap. As the alligator turns its head, ready to close the trap, this gar leapt over
the "seine" to safety. One can see in these images (and in the clip) that this alligator has a good left eye. (unlike the
scarred one, above).  Once again, here's the link to the video clip (mp4).

---------

February 6, 2011:  Everyone is probably aware of the recent bout of cold weather we've had. Starting sometime Thursday, the temperature dropped from around 69 degrees F to somewhere
in the 20's--and stayed there through Saturday, night. Sunday morning still had temperatures in the 40's, although by afternoon it got up to 70 degrees.
Sunday morning, Feb.6, 2011, while it was still cold, I saw an alligator at the Spillway. The alligator had a nutria in its mouth. Since water was flowing over the Spillway, and with the alligator there
; I closed the gates at both ends of the bridge.  I've read that alligators can't digest if their core temperature falls below 70 deg. F.  As I mentioned above, air temperature was well below that for
about 3 full days and nights. It's hard for me to believe that the water temperature anywhere was much higher than that, even in the deepest spots. So, the alligator must have been cold.  This is
also the extremely thin alligator that's been in that area for some months. And, the alligator is *blind* in both eyes!  How did it catch the nutria in the first place? Today's RICKUBISCAM shows
that alligator, illustrating the prominent backbone. The stick on its head is most likely there by accident. I've often seen alligators with such "headgear". This can happen if they surface under a
random piece of floating debris.  The images below show the alligator face in closer, and a close up of the face to show that the eyes are gone.

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I thought this was an interesting mystery. So, I looked again at information on how alligators control their temperature.  I found these two studies about alligator thermoregulation. There are a lot
of factors that influence the internal temperature of an alligator. Besides the general weather factors (sunlight, temperature) there is the alligator's external behavior (moving in and out of the water, 
turning towards the sun, gaping) and internal behavior (circulation, respiration, and metabolic movement) and various other factors. Temperature exchange happens faster in water (since it 
conducts heat better than air), but it is a more stable thermal environment than air; and is slower to change condition. So, alligators use water as a temperature buffer.  An alligator heats up faster
than it cools off (at least larger ones do--small ones heat and cool at the same rate). Alligators are efficient heat pumps.

And, this page shows alligators at the park, on land, near various landmarks at the park.

           Go back to my main alligator page, Alligators

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