Monday, April 27, 2015

Many Are Choosing To Swim With Alligators Every Year

By Alta Alexander


Alligators and crocodiles are pre historic creatures and are still very much around. They are truly beautiful animals but they do require that people respectfully keep their distance. Those that swim with alligators do so when they are on a leash and when their mouths are securely taped closed. Keeping out of the way of their powerful tails is also very important.

The average adult alligator can reach up to four metres sometimes fourteen feet and can weight anything from three hundred and sixty kilograms to about four hundred and fifty. The biggest one that was stumbled across was over nineteen feet and resided in Louisiana. The smallest one is just over one metre and is the Cuvier's dwarf caiman. They only weigh about seven kilograms or fifteen pounds.

A respectable distance should be about sixty feet and if they begin to hiss and also lunge towards one it is their way of saying that the distance is too close. They might seem slow but they are very powerful and can move very fast over short distances. Many people say that not running in a straight line is better, but this is not true as they run in straight lines and cannot keep up the speed for long periods of time.

They have been around the longest when it comes to all crocodilians and can measure up to six and a quarter metres in length. They have a very long and thin snout and there are one hundred and ten very sharp teeth. The male of the specie has a bulb on the end of the nose and this is referred to as a ghara.

The most popular specie to be kept captive was the Caiman crocodile but has now been taken over by the Dwarf caimans. They do not grow to be very large and seem to be more available. Their natural habitat is along the Amazon River in South America. They are more nocturnal and will spend their days hiding out in burrows.

If ever coming across a nest or baby alligators rather leave them alone. The mother might not be seen but she is in the close proximity of her babies and if they are in danger she will not hesitate to attack. Sometimes she may just hiss or lunge and this is her way of indicating that one is too close to her family.

These are less likely to spend a lot of time in water as they generally live in mostly shaded areas with fast moving water in the wild. They do not like to be in a lot of light during the day and seem to be more active at night. Ensure that their area is large so they can explore and if there is no water in the enclosure it is not a train smash.

The babies seem to prefer smaller areas as it helps them to feel secure but as they grow larger bigger enclosures are a must. There should be some rocks and plants in the area where they will soak up the sun or a light bulb. The temperature should be around ninety five degrees Fahrenheit and if there is water it needs to be changed weekly.




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