ALLIGATOR BEHAVIOR part 8c: DENS, BURROWS, HOLES--page 3  page 1 2
This page was born  02/02/2022 as an expansion of the page started 12/08/2013.  Rickubis designed it.  (such as it is.) Last update: 07/13/2023
Images and contents on this page copyright ©2013 -2023 Richard M. Dashnau     

Alligators alter their environment in various ways. They can make "gator holes", or "burrows" (which are sometimes called "dens".) During my time at the park (more than 20 years in 2022), 
I've been able to see some of these structures. While there are many references to alligator burrows, or dens, I can find little information on the actual shape and size of them. I've found
some information in the book "Life Traces of the Georgia Coast ", by Anthony J. Martin, phD., and his companion website of the same name. 
The alligators make their structures to alter the environment to their advantage. Gator burrows can serve as shelter from extremes in temperature (both hot and cold); as a receptacle 
for water (it can maintain some moisture within); and even as a temporary shelter from fire. An alligator den is usually excavated under the water. It goes straight for about a meter 
(3.28 ft), then can turn right or left. The burrow continues until an end chamber - sometimes above the water table, sometimes not - that is wide enough for the alligator to turn around.
Dr. Martin has measured at least one den that was 4.6 meters (15 ft) long! He and his associates used tape measures and ground-penetrating radar to take these measurements. 

Most of my other pages are arranged with the newest posts on top ( I figure that most folks are interested in current events.). But these den observations make more sense arranged 
chronologically, so...that's how they are arranged on this page. Starting in 2019, I had the good luck to be able to watch the behavior of female alligators with pods and dens.
I could take many pictures, so I've expanded to multiple pages. The observations of the mother, pod, and den that begin here are actually a continuation of observations of a
mother gator and pod that is associated with one of the nests described on this alligator babies page, which describes alligator nests and babies starting in June 2021.

On 11/28/2021; when I arrived at BBSP. The day was cold, damp, and Grey; but there was no breeze, so 40 Acre Lake was smooth. These two pictures show the view to my East and the West.

  

At 8:15 The pod of baby gators and their mom was still in place, though they were still under cover. Mom gator had mud on her head, so I think she's still burrowing at that spot.
  

I had  to get back to the Nature Center, so had to leave.  I took a few more pictures of the mother gator. Thermometer said 48 deg. F. I could see traces of mud on her snout, also.
   

I returned to 40Acre lake at 1:30.  I stayed near the baby alligators and their mother for about 45 minutes, interpreting for visitors (mostly about the baby gators).
 

12/05/2021 I didn't take a temperature reading today.  But, temperature data that I can find online shows that the temperature at Hobby Airport (about 30 miles Northeast)
was near 70 degrees F at 9am. The mother gator was near her den, and the babies were already out on the bank at 8:20am. The mom gator submerged at about 8:30, so
I watched the babies.



The mother gator appeared at 8:43 (about 20 minutes later). Since the water was clouded with silt, I couldn't see where she'd been. But, her nose was covered by a clump of
mud, and her snout and head were smeared with it. She must have been digging in her den.  She made "chomping" motions, and seemed to be trying to wash out her mouth.


She waited near the pod for a while. Then, at about 11:30, she moved through her trail, and moved out into the lake. She swam out towards the islands.


The pod remained where it was.  In a situation like this, a predator (like a Great Blue Heron or other wading bird; or something like an Otter, or Raccoon) would have found a
jackpot meal.  But those predators would have to get lucky to find the babies. Also, they'd scatter if threatened, but a few might get caught. That wasn't likely today with me
standing there...babysitting.  At 1:24 (almost 2 hours later!), I noticed an alligator swimming around the East end of the islands. I thought it might be mom returning, but it could
have been another. But, I was right.


Mom swam to the entrance of the trail to her nest.(I wonder how she navigates. Her face and eyes are at the water's surface. Yet she always makes her way to the entrance
of the trail.) As she paused at her trail, a group of Common Gallinules and American Coots came up to watch her!  A few of them walked right up to her snout. The gator submerged,
then she turned and swam back out, this time heading West as the birds watched her go (at 1:35).  I captured some of this on video, which I may post later.

At 2:15 (about 45 minutes later) Mom returned. This time, she moved down her trail and to the den and the pod.  She remained near the pod, and was partially resting on some
of the plants at 2:44 when I left.
 

01/02/2022 A cold front came through our area on the evening on January 1st, 2022.  The forecast said that temperatures would be somewhere in the 30's F (or about 40° colder
than the day before). I went out to BBSP again on 01/02/2022 mostly for two reasons.  First, I'd seen Bald Eagles out there (or the same one more than once)  the day before. One of my
 "working theories" is that our favorite winter predators (Eagles and Otters) would be more active on cold mornings because they're require more food for fuel.
Second, I wondered what the pod of baby alligators would do in the cold, and I also wondered how much the air temperature would differ from the temperature of the water. So, I
went out. In spite of the cold, and wind, it turned out to be an interesting day. Eagles were active,as described on their page. After this, I continued to check the mother alligator and pod.

    
When I got to the mom alligator's bush (The plant is actually called "Buttonbush" (Cephalantus occidentalis)--thanks Katherine), mom was at the surface, and her head was exposed.
Also, I could see one baby alligator in the water (look to the right in the picture)  The temperature above the trail (according to my cooking thermometer) was 36°F (9am).  Next, I
 walked about 10 yards West and submerged  the probe (unfortunately it's only on a 3 foot lead) and took another reading.  The tip of the probe was about 4 inches deep.

    
The temperature in the water was 60°F.  So, the mother and the baby were actually in a warmer place than I was!  At least then. I had assumed this would be the case, and had been
suggesting that possibility while interpreting for visitors. It was nice to see it verified in some way. I continued to Elm Lake. I went all the way around Elm Lake, then headed back
along the Spillway Trail towards 40 Acre Lake.  I was hoping to see an otter--but I never saw any that morning. I got back to the pod about 11:35, and the sun had been out for a while.
I did more temperature measurements. Air temperature on the trail was 38°F--just 2 degrees more than before.

    
I put the probe down on the grass, and discovered that it was about 52°F.   That was interesting, but I was still pretty cold.. But, it did explain why some of the baby alligators were
resting out of the water.  Not only that, but they had their mouths open--which I thought were "thermal gapes". According to sources I've read (and my experience) alligators usually
do a thermal gape to try to dump excess heat--usually allowing the head to cool off. Thermometer showed both the bank and the water was somewhere around 60°F, so maybe the
babies could have been overheated--but it seems unlikely.

01/16/2022. Another cold day at Brazos Bend State Park. Please note that there was movement around me most of the time, so the animals that I mention were not 
the only ones about.  I walked to the observation tower and the open waters there, hoping to encounter otters and/or eagles. At 8:30am I stopped by the gator mom's den, and she was
visible, but just the tip of her nose was exposed. It was about 39°F on the trail.  

    

 At 8:50, it was 42°F on the trail, 46°F in the water at the surface, and the same about 3" deep. Mom gator was still submerged with just nostrils
exposed--and also mostly in her burrow (note how close her head is to the shore-she's at least 5 feet long, also there's mud on her snout).

    

    

At 12:20, gator mom was out of her burrow with her back above water. Some babies also came out.  
    

About 1:00, mom backed into her burrow, and began surfacing periodically.  1:40, more babies surfaced. 
   

62°F on trail. 2:00 mom  mostly submerged, head in hyacinth, nose exposed.  More babies moved on land and in water.
   

At 2:20 57°F on trail, 52°F at 3in deep, 55°F at surface water.
   

 01/30/2022. About 50°F Brazos Bend State Park when I got there.  I was near the mother gator's den in the morning, then went back later. The bright light and clear water showed her using
the den.  The first 5 images show her surfacing from while her body is in the den. The water is clear enough to show the translucent nictitating membrane over her submerged eye.
   

The next images show how close her head is to the water's edge, further evidence that her body is hidden under there. Some of the baby alligators were sunning on the bank.
   

T he last two longer shots show the cleared area around the den entrance, and also more of her body extended from the den.
 

02/27/2022. Pictures feature the mom gator and her den, and her pod of baby alligators.  Her head was showing around 8:30am, and air temperature was about 34° F at 9am. I like the cooking
thermometer because it's very durable. I'd left my electronic one at home.  Then, I used this wire tie to attach the thermometer to my stick.  I've been monitoring temperature mostly during the colder
days--because I (and many park visitors) wonder how the alligators deal with the cold weather.
   

I used my stick to submerge the thermometer. The water was a few degrees warmer, 38° F at 9am.  The mother submerged , but didn't move. At 11:30, the air temperature had risen to 52° F.
  
                       9:00am                                                          9:06am                                                       11:25pm    
After that, the clouds left for a while, and the baby alligators began to appear. First, just a few, then--as I spoke to park visitors, there were more babies every time I looked. I could not tell where
they'd been hiding. As the pictures show, they started moving around, and got up on the bank to bask.  And, they climbed on their mother.  Everyone loves seeing the baby alligators on mom.
   
                       11:27am                                                          11:50am                                                       11:58am                                                   12:06pm
I didn't take any more temperature readings, but I was in the area until 12:30pm.  
   
                       12:06pm                                                          12:20pm                                                       12:21pm                                                   12:21pm
The babies piled onto their usual spot..
  
                              12:25pm                                                   12:28pm

03/13/2022. Another cold morning at BBSP.  The  pictures below are from that day. I went back to using the simpler analog thermometer.  I used a coated wire tie to secure the thermometer 
to my 6 ft stick so I could test the water temperature. Air temperature was 42° F near the water, temperature in the water was about  50° F.
     
                       8:06am                                                          8:12am                                                       8:14am                                                   8:14am

At 8:15am, air temperature was 42° F near the water, temperature in the water was about  50° F.  A few minutes later, the mother gator and some of her babies surfaced, although only their
heads were visible.
   
                       8:14am                                                          8:14am                                                       8:14am                                                   8:17am

By noon, air temperature was 60° F on the trail, temperature in the water was about  58° F.  
   
                       8:18am                                                          8:19am                                                       12:04pm                                                   12:06pm

By 1pm the mother gator had exposed her back and head to the sun, but remained in the water, while the baby gators were moving around, foraging, and climbing on their mother.
   
                       12:06pm                                                          12:49pm                                                  12:49pm                                                    12:49pm

   
                       1:07pm                                                          1:07pm                                                      1:53pm                                                    1:58pm

During the next hour, as the day got warmer, the baby gators gathered on the bank. On days that had started cooler, this seemed to be the usual behavior. If temperatures and sunlight 
remained strong through the day, the baby gators would sometimes move into the shaded areas near the base of the bush, and form a pile there.
 
                       1:59pm                                                          1:59pm                         

03/20/2022. The weather warmed up a bit at BBSP (58° F).  Mom gator emerged from her burrow, and the baby gators began to surface soon after.
    
                       8:29am                                                          8:31am                                                      8:31am                                                    8:36am

I dipped the thermometer under the water about 30 minutes later, it was about the same temperature as the air.(62° F).  Mom gator emerged from her burrow, and the baby gators began to 
surface soon after.  Mom gator left the burrow entirely, but I had to move on.  When I returned at almost 1pm, many of the baby alligators were out of the water, but they piled near the base of
the Button-Bush plant.
    
                       8:54am                                                          9:18am                                                      9:18am                                                    12:50pm

03/27/2022. It was a wonderful sunny morning at BBSP.  The  pictures below are from that day.  The mother gator's head was visible, and at least one of the babies decided to climb onto 
the mother's nose.  I had other things to do, so no more observations from this day.
     
                       8:32am                                                          8:32am                                                      8:33am                                                    8:33am

04/03/2022. When I arrived near the den later than usual, and the mother alligator wasn't visible. But a bit later, she appeared from near the East tip of the island.  the first three pictures below
show her swimming back to the den.  A bit later, while I was talking with park visitors, a baby alligator appeared, but not near the den.  It crossed the trail from behind us--from Pilant Lake! 
     
                       11:17am                                                          11:17am                                                       11:17am                                                   11:54am

We gave it space as it crossed and moved through the grass and into 40 Acre Lake. This was a big surprise, and I wondered where the baby had been. The mom gator relaxed in her 
cleared spot, but the baby gators remained hidden-including the one that had just crossed the trail.  About 2-1/2 hours later, I was talking to more visitors about the mom gator and babies;
and another baby alligator appeared on the trail from Pilant Lake!
   
                       11:54am                                                          11:54am                                                      1:35pm                                                   2:29pm

This one also walked across the trail and into the grass and plants right behind the mother( who was lying in the water).  However, that baby didn't appear in the water to swim near the mother. 
Over the next hour or so, the mother appeared to be digging at the den entrance. She submerged, and apparently went into the den. Turbulence and silt clouds showed that she was doing
something while submerged. She surfaced with lumps of mud on her snout, and eventually swam out into the lake.
   
                       2:29pm                                                          3:58pm                                                       4:03pm                                                   4:06pm

Mom gator swam across to the island, climbed onto the bank, and rested for just a few minutes. Then she crossed the island moved out of sight. One baby gator finally appeared in the water.
I left soon after that.  This was my last observation of babies near this den.  There were a few sightings of babys a bit further East, but after that I couldn't find them.
   
                       4:06pm                                                          4:09pm                                                  4:09pm                                                    4:11pm

 
                       4:21pm        

01/01/2023. As noted above, the baby gators had gone, and the den didn't seem to be relevant afterwards. But the following summer of 2022 was hard on BBSP. Texas experienced a 
drought, and water levels throughout BBSP dropped dramatically (as described in part on my page here). There was some recovery starting at the end November 2022, but the water level
in 40-Acre Lake was still about 4 feet low in January 2023. The pictures below show the entrance to the den described above; but exposed by the low water (and vegetation knocked down
by winter conditions).  Although the entrance is visible, I didn't see any signs that the showed the den was still being used. (Although another den was exposed about 40 yards West that did
show signs of continued use.)  These images show the den, but after the mud around it had been exposed for months, with new vegetation grown around what had been a mud bank. The
first image shows the den a full year previous (as described above on this page). 
   
            01/30/2022 (1 year ago)                           01/01/2023 9:12am                                                  9:12am                                                    12:18pm

   
                       12:18pm                                                         12:18pm                                                  12:18pm                                                    12:19pm      
 05/28/2023 Brazos Bend State Park A week ago 5/18, I had noticed that the den I call the "40 Acre West Den" by the Buttonbush (Cephalantus
occidentalis)  showed new signs of use (grass flattened, slide mark in mud). Since then, I've been stopping by  to see if I could find an alligator in or near it.  There appears
 to be  a grassy hump in front of the den, but I don't think it's a nest. After comparing with older images, I can see that the hump has always been there. Grass grew on it, and
now that it's flattened it gives the illusion of a pile of grass stalks. I believe that it's just a layer of crushed grass on top of the mud hump and not a pile of old grass. The 4
images below show the den earlier this year.
   
                        01/01/2023                                                                  01/22/2023                                                         02/12/2023                                                                  03/19/2023

While looking at the bush today, I noticed the amazing flowers on the Buttonbush (Cephalantus occidentalis), and decided to take a few pictures of those.
   

While I was shooting photos, some butterflies and a few wasps came by. I think that this was a Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), and it's a male--at least judging
from the colors when I  compared with images online. I thought my photos were nice, so here they are. 
                     

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

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