Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Do Alligators hibernate?

This is about as much as alligators let you see of them after they spot you.
This was the first of the two dens I found .
I tried to get close enoughto see inside............. but it got a little exciting not knowing what was or wasn't inside.
This was the second of the two dens I found.

Well, I think the answer to the question is.................. to hang around essentially unchanged for thousands of years they have made some smart adaptations. In the brush country south of San Antonio, alligators dig holes several feet back in the bank of creeks, rivers, and adjacent to other bodies of water during the cold period of the year. Back inside their hole, which is dug out big enough inside to allow them to turn around, the temperature stays a constant 68 to 72 degrees. On warm days in the winter you may see them outside laying in the warm sun.
I was out today and found two different such dens and an alligator in the water not far from the largest one.

2 comments:

Fred and Sandra said...

Sandra, of Fred and Sandra, thinks this series of alligator pics and the sunset are super! Keep 'em coming, Fred of Fred and Sandra :)

The Poth's said...

Lex, of Kristi and Lex, also thinks the pics are great. But Lex has one question...Did you stick your hand in the hole to see if there were any aligators sleeping? Now that would be a great pic...