Alligators,
although they are ectothermic and also equipped with a small brain, exhibit
a surprising diversity in their responses to their environment and to each
other.
They are for more complex than mere animated logs or 12-foot-long
eating machines. This group of pages show some of what I've been able to
see in the years I've
been volunteering (September of 2001 thru March of 2020) at Brazos Bend State
Park.
------------------------------------
-
--- -----THE CHALLENGE
February
3, 2002 Today,
there was alligator activity, but it seemed that mostly larger alligators
(length 5 feet or more) were moving. I saw only one alligator under
5 feet
long. As I was walking down the Pilant Slough trail, which I entered
at 11:00. I noticed a fair-sized alligator swimming leisurely upstream
(towards Pilant
Lake). I lost it around a bend as I moved down the trail.
I encountered it again at the power line clearance. I arrived just in time
to see him (it was probably too large
to be a female) challenge a somewhat
larger alligator that blocked his path. The larger alligator seemed not
to respond, and only showed his head at the surface
of the water. I saw
no movement from the larger alligator at this time. . The smaller one then
turned towards shore, climbed out of the water, and lied down to bask.
Click
here for a short video clip showing a portion of this interaction.
(flv video,
no sound, 2,282 kb) The image above
(the
challenge) is a frame taken from this
video.
I slowly
moved across the clearance, and squatted down. The larger alligator moved
towards the shore, and also left the water. It stopped about halfway
out,
and both alligators became very still. At this point, I slowly stood up;
and the smaller alligator (at least 8 feet long, I'm guessing maybe 10
feet) didn't like this,
and rushed into the water from the far shore, where
it bobbed to the surface, and just stared at me. It remained near to the
farther shore, about 20 yards away,
and let his back rise above the surface.
I needed to leave, anyway. Heh, heh. Of course, I'd turned off the video
camera by then.
January 09, 2014 I've remastered the video to enlarge it from the archived file. It is here (wmv 18mb) and here (mp4 17.6 mb).
March
24, 2002
I got to the park a little early. I wanted to try to hear some alligator
bellowing. I've been reading Social Signals of Adult American
Alligators,
by Leslie Garrick, Jeffrey Lang, and Harold Herzog
(Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History NY, 1978). It has some
interesting information. Bellowing
time starts during March, and extends
through June. From other facts in this source, I was able to make a reasonable
guess about the places at the park where
alligators might want to bellow.
I was just coming out of a trail nicknamed "Spillway Trail", onto the Elm
Lake trail, when I noticed this (tail arch, below). Later,
I
paced off how far away this was from where I was standing, and it was
50 paces. These two were right next to the trail...about 3 feet away from
it. (double
trees, below).
-------------------------------------------------------------
--------------- -----------TAIL
ARCH----- -------
BY
THE DOUBLE TREES- ----------A
BELLOW-----
--
I stopped,
since I didn't want to disturb whatever the alligators intended to do.
The alligators seemed to be about the same size. I used the video camera
to zoom in on their activity.
Then, I began to take a few pictures with
a digital still camera, and as I was looking through that, I saw first
bellow (a bellow, above). I quickly grabbed my video camera again,
and
began filming. I was able to film most of this, although I had
to move once. I was really happy about this, until I got home and
tried to edit the video. The microphone on the camera
isn't
designed to
pick up on something 50 yards away. However, I was able to edit the
sound somewhat, and amplify it so that the bellowing can be
heard. You'll
still have to turn up the
sound to hear the bellowing in this clip.
Click here(flv video
1,830 kb) to see and hear a part of the clip.
I noticed that some other alligators joined this one, making a "chorus".
After this
alligator's "bout" (series of bellows), the one in front moved
away, turning from the shore and swimming out past the other alligator.
They had been sort of parallel to each other, with one
a bit in front.
Both alligators were in "head lift/tail arched" position at the beginning
of the bout. Both were facing the shore through the entire bout.
The forward animal was hard to see
from my position and I was unable to
tell for sure if it was also bellowing. Females do bellow, sometimes.
I was very happy about seeing this on my first attempt. I was able
to film some
other alligator interactions as well, but I've rambled enough
for now.
April
14, 2002
I got to see a large alligator crossing the trail (and filmed it!) and
also saw more bellowing. This time a large male was close to the trail.
( See Bellow Position, below).
I got a good clip with my video
camera. Click on 3
bellows (flv video
775 kb) to see some of it. I also took a small
clip using my digital camera. This has sound. Click to see and hear
another
bellow. (flv video 493 kb)
By the way, this clip, the "wide yawn" clip, the young
alligator walking clip, and the bittern clip below were taken with
this camera, an Olympus C-700.
Most of the recent stills have been taken
with this camera, also. Remember, I've degraded the image resolution so
that they'll load faster on a wider range of internet connections. Also,
I'm
using a freeware version of realproducer to make the flv video clips,
so the video isn't at the very best quality.
------
BELLOWING
POSITION FIRST CROSSING--- --------GAPE
DISPLAY--- ------SECOND
CROSSING
April
23, 2002
Tuesday, April 23, I was able to take a day off work and get to the park
fairly early. I was certainly glad that I did. I wanted to try to get more
footage, pictures, whatever, of
alligator social activity. I parked near
the Elm Lake picnic area and walked to where I'd seen previous instances
of bellowing. When I reached the spot (about 8:30am) , a nature photographer
that is working on various projects in the park was already there. He'd
been observing a large male alligator, and what he assumed was a smaller
(by comparison) female foraging near a
culvert drainage. This was in Pilant
Lake. Across the path, and behind us (since we were facing Pilant Lake),
was a large alligator in Elm Lake, close to the edge of the water. Looking
at him,
I was sure that he intended to cross over to where we were watching.
After a period of time, during which I'd glance back at the Elm Lake alligator,
I noticed a large alligator crossing the trail
about 50 yards away.
Click here(flv video
436kb, or see FIRST CROSSING,
above) to see him. Not long after that,
the big one in Elm Lake did a wide
gaping display. (flv video 695kb, or
see
GAPE
DISPLAY above.)
This was not related to any thermoregulatory behavior that I could see,
since it was still somewhat cool.
Not
too long after this display, I was looking down at the Pilant Slough, when
I turned around to see the large alligator's snout about 18 inches off
the ground, and nearing the edge of the trail.
He had left the water and
had been walking towards us when I turned around. He paused. I alerted
the photographer, Philippe Henry, and we moved aside to let him pass. While
the alligator
passed, I filmed this
footage. (flv video 857 kb. or see SECOND
CROSSING, above)
The photographer in the clip is not as close as he seems. Do
NOT EVER get this close to an alligator!
The
alligator crossed and went down by the edge of the water. The larger alligator
we'd been watching earlier had moved off, about 20 feet, some time earlier.
Unknown to me, it had quietly
come back. Evidently, its return was noted
by the alligator we'd just seen cross the trail. We had just begun moving
back to our previous filming positions when this alligator turned around
and began climbing back out onto the trail, catching us somewhat off-guard.
He paused at the edge of the trail, allowing me to take a quick snapshot,
then crawled out, and then lay down
right where we'd been standing. He
rested there for a few minutes, and then continued across the path. I was
able to get a short clip of him moving
back into Elm Lake. (flv video, 517 kb,
or
see OOPS, HE CAME BACK!,
below.)
One
thing I find quite amazing is how quiet these alligators are while they
are walking. This is a creature similar to a small dinosaur, sometimes
around 12 feet long, and dragging its tail as it
moves. Still, even on
these granular paths, or while moving through undergrowth, these fascinating
creatures are unnervingly silent.
After
a short rest, he swam out towards the corner of the lake, near where I'd
taken previous bellowing footage. I followed the alligator, thinking that
it may bellow, or that it might cross the path.
It stopped near shore,
and took one of the aggression display positions, which is close to the
position an alligator takes before bellowing. However, perhaps because
of being driven off
(losing a minor conflict), instead of bellowing, he
did a grunt/headslap.(flv video,
215 kb, or see BELLOW/HEADSLAP,
below) Please note that I was about
20 feet away, and you can see by
the camera movement that even at that
distance, the act was intimidating.
------
OOPS, HE CAME BACK!
BELLOW/HEADSLAP
I DON'T
KNOW. NICE HAT?
BIG BELLOW
Somewhere
near this time, another alligator crossed
the trail (flv video, 450 kb, or see I
DON'T KNOW, NICE HAT?, above)
about 50 yards away. Finally, for me, anyway, the finale for the
day. I'd
just started watching the large alligator down in Pilant Lake, when he
began to take the bellow position, and immediately began
to bellow. (flv video, 1,352 kb, BIG
BELLOW, above).
This clip shows what I'd consider a single bout, and then he followed with
one other bout. During this time, the female near him also bellowed, as
well as another one about 10 yards away.
After all this, I had to move
on to other things that day.
May 05,
2002
After seeing a copperhead near Hoot's Hollow trail, I continued on, encountering
a rather fiesty 2 foot alligator (well, he just haughtily watched me pass,
as he stayed near the
trail). I got near my usual area, but did not see
any activity immediately. I eventually found a small (about 5-foot) alligator
near shore, and facing the trail. Previous experience has led me to
believe
that this alligator probably intended to cross the trail to Pilant Lake.
I watched this one for a while, until I noticed a large male swimming from
the opposite shore of Elm Lake and
heading in my direction. However,
it turned and slowly swam into a small inlet on the opposite shore, where
it stopped. I was slowly moving towards the piers on Elm lake when the
large
alligator made a loud "bellow/headslap" (growl/headslap) from the
opposite shore. Although I heard it, I didn't get to see it. However,
after this, he started moving again, coming again to my
side of the lake,
and towards my position. He stopped very close to the shore, and
waited there. I thought he'd attempt to cross, but a group of visitors
passed by, and he moved off a bit, to
a position about 15 feet from shore,
and behind some wild rice. In the meantime, I looked across the trail,
and saw that the smaller alligator (7-8 foot female) had come back to the
culvert
opening and was sitting in the water. This was almost directly
across the trail from where the large male was. As I was wondering
what I should do next, the female in Pilant Lake began to
bellow (FEMALE
BELLOWS, below, or flv video
clip 338kb) , and the large male bellowed back from behind the rice.
This was a short bout, of about 4 bellows each. After a few minutes,
I was able to see the large male once again approaching the shore. I once
again thought the he'd leave the water and cross, but then he turned away.
I looked up and saw another large
alligator swimming towards us from the
opposite bank of Elm Lake. He was just rounding the corner, when the alligator
in front of me began turning. The distance between them was at least
40
feet when the closer male began to turn. "My" alligator moved out
in a direct line to intercept the approaching male (they were almost the
same size). When they were about 8 feet from
each other, the approaching
male turned around and began to retreat. "My" alligator continued pursuit,
and the retreating male began swimming rapidly away (THE CHASE,
below, or
flv video
clip 1,126 kb).
--------------
------------ ---
FEMALE
BELLOWS------------ -----------THE
CHASE--- --- --------------SIX-FOOTER
WALKING-
When
both alligators got near the bend, the pursuing alligator stopped, and
the "loser" continued swimming back around the bend. The large alligator
once again approached my shore.
This time, it came close to shore, but
moved out through the rice, this time advancing on a much smaller alligator,
which also retreated. The large male then approached the shore and
paused
for a while. However, this time, he approached very close to
the shore (about 2 feet away). As I was waiting, some park visitors came
by, and some of them noticed a pair of
smaller (about 4 or 5 foot) alligators
about 30 feet away. I moved towards them and as I did, one of these smaller
alligators approached the shore. We watched happily as this one walked
out of the water, and then rested with its head near the edge of the trail.
After about 5 minutes, it got up and crossed
the trail (flv video 1,156kb or SIX FOOTER WALKING,above), to
the
great enjoyment of the watching visitors (and myself!). After
this, I moved back towards the big male (he was at least 10 feet long),
and not soon after I got into position he got up and left the
water, moving
far enough to get his tail completely out before he "plopped" down.(OUT
OF THE LAKE, below, or flv video
322kb) He stayed stretched out long enough for a number of people
to pass. Then he got up and crossed the trail.(MOVING SLOW, below,
or flv video
803kb) After this, I moved back towards 40-Acre lake, where I'd left
my car.
If you'd like to know more about the park follow these links:
Brazos Bend State Park The main page.
Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer's Page The volunteer's main page.
Here are a few links to more information on alligators. There's a LOT of it out there.
Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species
And, this page shows alligators at the park, on land, near various landmarks at the park.
Go back to my main alligator page, Alligators