Alligators are amphibious (but not AMPHIBIANS) and are in the water most of the time. Therefore it is worthy of note when they are on land, especially
when they are doing more than just absorbing solar energy. Here is yet another page of terrestrial alligator antics.

From Brazos Bend State Park on 08/28/2022   Some hours after the action with the gator mom on Spillway Trail (described elsewhere), this alligator was foraging
 near the Observation Tower in water that had reappeared in Pilant Lake.  Although a few small fish and occasional tadpoles were visible, there was a lot less activity in the water than usual.
The alligator had mud all over the top of its head, a really big lump of mud on the back of its head.  A small dragonfly used the mud as a perch while the gator slowly cruised around. The gator
submerged briefly, then moved East, and towards the common crossing spot (I saw many gators leave the lake at that point-a few yards East of the restored culvert-over the last month or so.).
Since it appeared that the hunting was poor, I thought there was a good chance that this one would cross too, so I moved a bit past that point  (to get the sun behind me) and turned to watch.  
A few minutes later, a group of 8 visitors walked up, and I got their attention and suggested that they watch the area near me. The gator crossed, to the evident enjoyment of the group.  The
people kept far back from the crossing gator.  After the gator had crossed, I was able to talk to the folks, who were mostly new visitors to the park (two were visiting from Northern U.S.).  
Sharing experiences like this with park visitors-especially those new to the park-is one of the biggest rewards for working at BBSP,
When I've seen an alligator's head covered with mud like this, it was pretty obvious that the alligator had been burrowing (because I had seen it using the burrow).  With so much mud on
top of its head, I think that this alligator had been burrowing or moving in and out of a burrow( or den); or, the alligator had buried itself in the soft mud.  
   

 

Here's something that appeared on 40-Acre Lake trail on 10/10/2021. Yes, it's feces, poop, scat, or stool.  At first thought, it is just evidence that an animal left a "sculpture" on the trail.
But, this sculpture was left by an alligator.  Since most people aren't lucky enough to move around in alligator habitat; most people don't get to see this.  Usually, I have to identify
the scat by size, color, texture, etc..  But this sculpture was signed by the "artist"!  That squiggle on the trail leading to it(or from it) is a drag mark left by the alligator's tail. 
   

05/02/2021  Even with more "spare time" it's taking me days to work on new material so I can post it. Part of the reason is that I get more new material before I've completed
editing of the previous new material--because I have more of that "spare time" to go get the new material. Oh, darn. LOL
So, here's how my morning went at Brazos Bend State Park on 05/02/21.  I have more photos (and some video) but I need to post this now before much more time passes (it's
already been a week today).  I'd just gotten to the edge of 40-Acre Lake (had just walked down the hill) when, I saw this alligator cross the trail about 50 yards or so ahead of me
(far enough to be around the bend so I could get this far shot).
  
                This alligator crossed ahead of me.    
When I got to that bend, I saw an alligator near the island that seemed to be chewing on something. The alligator that had crossed the trail went out to meet it. A chase of
alligator vs. alligator ensued.   (I've got a video of this, and a series of captured images which I will post later).  But events (to be described) finally resulted in a different
alligator on the trail (which, it turned out, was a male (also evidence in video). I spent a few hours standing near it, and doing general interpretation for visitors that came by.
   
                The alligator came in slowly.                  Then paused near the other gator.          The trail there is about 6 feet across.                       Zoomed in closeup shot.
The alligator shifted on the trail, finally turning around.  Eventually, it started to gape--I assumed this was a "thermal gape" which showed that the alligator was getting overheated.
About 10 minutes after, the alligator went back into the water. I'd spent about 2 hours with it.  A wonderful morning at the BBSP.
  
                The alligator turned around.                      Probable thermal gape                          The returning to the water!

03/04/2021   I visited Fiorenza Park North again. It's not too far from home.  I'm not sure, but I think the water level has dropped since my last visit.
Today, I discovered that the armored catfish (various species?) apparently did not come through the freeze even unscathed.  There were many dead ones
scattered around the shoreline.  There were many different sizes.  Maybe they had died during the freeze but their carcasses had been hidden by deeper water.
They were certainly visible today!   There was one other animal at the park. It's an animal that I've become very familiar with at Brazos Bend State Park, but they aren't common
everywhere else. It's an alligator!  I've only seen alligators at Fiorenza park on one or the other of the two islands to the North of Westpark drive.  Below are three images I shot 
today, at different zoom levels, to show location.

  

07/28/2019  Just a quick clip of an alligator crossing the trail. I was heading East on the Spillway trail, and at the East end of the Spillway Bridge, I walked by a park
visitor that was watching an alligator in Pilant Lake, near the trail. I few steps further on, I saw another alligator facing the "island humps". Another park visitor
was walking towards me (he was walking West).  I had stopped to talk to him, when there was a splash as the alligator jumped.  The visitor had been watching the
alligator, and it appeared to have not caught anything.  While I was talking to this visitor, I noticed that the alligator had moved back towards the trail (moving South,
towards us).  Then, it began climbing up the bank in a line that would have taken it over the spot where we were standing.  Figuring that it wanted to cross, I asked the
visitor to move to either side of the gator's apparent path so it would cross.  The visitor moved East, and I did, too.  The alligator came up and crossed the trail. The
other visitor that I'd passed, hurried over to shoot video of the crossing.  I shot video, too, but only after the gator had begun crossing. I had to be sure that we were
out of the gator's path before I started shooting video or photos.  The images below show the alligator at mid-crossing, with a good comparison with the width of the
trail--it's a frame grab from the video. The other picture shows my stick after I walked over and placed it over the trail-drag mark from the gator's crossing. I got as
close as I could to my original filming position and took the picture for comparison. My stick is about 6 feet long (it's 71.5 inches actually). It looks like the alligator was
8 or 9 feet long.  I'm posting this because it shows how the alligator had no wish to be near us (I'm sure it was aware of us), and just intended to cross the trail.
Here's the video.
      

12/09/2018   The sky was gray. The water in the lakes at BBSP was clear, and a bit high--since it had rained heavily 2 nights before. The air temperature was 40� F. 
In short, this was what I would call "Otter Weather".  That is, weather where it might be more likely that Otters would be on the move. At least, that is what I
thought my experience has taught me. By the way--the same weather conditions might also be better for seeing Bald Eagles as they visit the park.
So, I was moving East on the North side of the 40-Acre Lake trail, and I was scanning the the sky, the treetops, and the water for Eagles and Otters.
I was dressed in layers of insulating clothing which kept me warm against the cold wind that blows South off of Pilant Lake.
So, I was really surprised to see an Alligator on land, and crossing the trail, about 100 yards ahead of me--at the popular crossing spot just West
of the Observation Tower.  I quickly lifted my camera and snapped a quick burst of pictures. The alligator stopped briefly and rested.

 

But, it moved off the trail and into 40-Acre lake before I'd gone a few steps.  This was just another example of an alligator doing something unexpected,
as they seemed to be doing lately. Considering all the cold weather we've been having, it seems that alligators shouldn't be moving around much;
or even eating.  

 
------------------------------------------------There it is, just over 40� F------------That's my 6 foot long "walking" stick where gator crossed.
But Alligators had been seen over the previous weeks with prey in their jaws.  I even saw one on 11/25/2018! It took a while to
figure out what the Alligator had, but there it is. That looks like the back leg and claws of a Nutria to me. That was during another
bout of cool weather, too (temperature 55 - 60 F)

 

 But was this activity really that odd?  Sure, it was cold on December 9th.  And also on November 25th.  But this is a chart I made of the low and high temperatures
that were measured in Sugar Land, Texas and collected on the NWS website.  Sugar Land is about 15 miles straight North of Brazos Bend State Park, so the temperatures
between the two should be pretty close.  Considering that the water in our lakes does not move around much (no streams or springs continually feed them), Heavy
rain runoff could disturb any temperature or chemical layers in the lake water--but the lakes should be pretty stable. I think it's possible that the lakes are
gaining enough heat on the warm days to stay quite a bit higher than the cold air temperatures we've had so far.  The chart is surprising.

 

06/03/2018  Although I don't upload new pictures every week, that doesn't mean that I don't see something interesting every week. There is almost always something
worth sharing happening here. It's just that the web space I'm renting is limited (though large),
Having said that...here are a few things from from June 03, 2018.
If one walks trails early in the morning--animal traces like footprints are easier to see, since the low elevation of the sun throws such traces into high relief. The
shadowing of the prints makes them stand out. This effect wanes as the sun rises in the sky.  On this morning, I walked East on the North part of the 40 Acre lake
trail. I encountered a number of alligator tail drag marks. When an alligator high-walks across a trail, usually the tail leaves a distinctive mark--almost appearing
as if the trail was scored by a dull knife. Usually footprints don't show in the crushed stone on most of the trails, in part-I believe-because the feet allow the
weight of the alligator to be spread over a wider area. This morning, however, I saw this crossing pattern, which also showed the faint impression of feet.
(gator track 1) The stick in the photo is my "walking stick", which is 71.5 inches long.  About 15 minutes later,  I encountered another crossing--also with foot
impressions (gator track 2).  Note that I am walking East, so the shadows are towards me. I might not have seen these if I had been walking in the opposite
direction. Finally after another 10 minutes of walking, I found a very popular crossing spot,  about 20 yards West of the Observation Tower.(gator track 3).
I believe that these tracks were all made some time during the night or early morning; since they are quickly obliterated by daily foot traffic and would not
have lasted while people were walking the trails. An interesting note is that some weeks ago, I watched a Red-ear Slider lay eggs on the North side of the trail
in area shown by image 3. That is on the right of that image. There were drag marks evident then, too, and I thought that there was a good chance that that nest
would remain undisturbed by whatever creatures plunder the turtle nests. Finally, about 30 minutes later, a small alligator (about 4 feet long) crossed the trail
in the same area. (gator trackmaker)

    
                 GATOR TRACK 1                                   GATOR TRACK 2                                 GATOR TRACK 3                                        GATOR TRACKMAKER

04/15/2018 . At Brazos Bend State Parkout it was nearly 60 � F.  I'd been on the trails about 90 minutes.  I had seen a few alligators in another lake, with just the heads exposed. The air temperature 
(which I measured), was about 54 degrees F then.  Then, I noticed this alligator surface in Elm Lake (041518_01). It had been submerged in water at least 8 feet deep.  When I checked, the air 
temperature was just above 60 F (041518_02). The alligator began swimming, with its back showing at the surface (041518_03). I followed the gator to a popular basking spot, and talked to some 
of the park visitors that passed by.

    
                     041518_01                                  041518_02                                                041518_03
I told them that I expected that alligator to come out on the bank soon. I waited for about 20 minutes (which isn't really "waiting", since I could watch other animals and birds moving around).  That alligator
didn't move, but suddenly, other gators appeared at the surface. About 10 minutes later, 3 alligators had come up on the bank to bask almost simultaneously!(041518_04) Yes, there are 3 in that picture.
I checked the temperature again.(041518_05)  

   
                     041518_04                                  041518_05                        
Some hours later, I was back in town, eating dinner. I was reading a study (Patterns, Drivers, and Effects of Alligator Movement, Behavior and Habitat Use; by Abigail J. Lawson, Bradley A. Strickland 
and Adam E. Rosenblatt, when I read: "As air temperatures warm, alligators begin to emerge from their winter den sites and increase their daily movements, especially after air temperatures exceed 
the minimum metabolic threshold  for prey consumption (16 C; Joanen and McNease 1989).  16 C = 60.8F...which is about the temperature I saw.

03/27/2016 I was near the Elm Lake Water Station, near a couple alligators that were basking.  There as a large one partially on the trail--though mostly on the grass and
facing Elm Lake.  One of the most frequently asked questions visitors on the trail as me is: "Is that alligator a male or a female?"  There is almost no way to be 100-percent sure
of an alligators gender aside from probing its cloaca. And, we don't do that. And, we are not going to go over to that one and do it.
But there are a few other indicators that can lead to a good guess of the gender.  For example, if the alligator is watching over a nest, or babies, it is probably a female. If it is over 10 feet long,
it is probably a male.
On this particular day, a person in a family group asked the question, and I gave another answer--which I use sparingly, depending upon the audience. First, I mention that I know
the gender of one particular male. That alligator normally patrols the area around the Spillway Bridge. And, I know it's a male because it showed me its genitalia. (I have described
that event on my web page here.  Look for the entry dated 5/18/2014.)  I had just described that event to today's  family when the large alligator in front of us did the same thing.
It stood up, lifted its hindquarters, defecated, and extended its genitalia.  The "cloaca" is a single opening that is used for access to digestive tract, urinary AND reproductive organs.
Here it was being used to access 2 of those functions.  It was one of those funny coincidences that sometimes rewards trail interpreters--almost as if the alligator had heard us and
was obliging us with a demonstration.  I took a few pictures to demonstrate this event, and I also took a few of specific features so I could recognize the alligator again. Here is another that
I can say is definitely a male!

  

(update 4/14/2016) Since everything comes out of the cloaca, I wondered if the penis had to be "moved out of the way" to allow an alligator to defecate. I looked through my alligator books at home, and 

couldn't find anything. I went online, and finally found this article by Ed Yong. That article had a link to this paper by Diane A. Kelly: "Penile Anatomy and Hypotheses of Erectile Function in the American
Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis):Muscular Eversion and Elastic Retraction". (link here )
According to those articles the alligator penis is composed mostly of a collagen core so it is "always" rigid, and curved. This rigid, comma-shaped organ is "sheathed" by being held inside the hip, above the ischium.
There, it is covered by the sets of cloacal muscles, and attached to the hip by two major ligaments/tendons. The penis is extended when the cloacal muscles flex, which squeeze it out, which eventually stretches at
least one of those 2 ligaments ( The ligamentum rami. I suspect the other(ventral penile tendon)  may act to stabilize the orgain as it extends).  This stretches the ligamentum rami enough so that when the cloacal
muscles relax, the l. rami *pulls the penis back into storage*!

   

So...if the cloacal muscles cause this to happen, does this mean that those same muscles-which may be used for defecation as wel-would always cause this reaction? This was the only information I could find. 
I've created these images based on photos and figures in the study by Diane A. Kelly--but I have created these images from my own photos.

11/02/2008-- There's been a bit of activity since my last update. Some interesting items, but all overshadowed by a visit from a hurricane named Ike. I'm fine. My dog, Buddha, is fine. And here is a new story.
We are beginning to experience the cooler weather of fall. Nights have become cooler. The alligators are more active on land, basking and walking and generally taking advantage of solar energy.
Previous visitors to this domain may recall that I bought a small "sport" video camera about a year ago. It's a small, self-contained, waterproof device that will record video when started until it runs out of memory
or until it is stopped. I originally tried using it attached to my dog, and you can see details of that on her web page, here.
With all the alligators crossing the trails, I decided that I'd try to take some video footage of an alligator crossing the trail--but from the level of the alligator. I'd need to find an alligator that was preparing to cross a trail.
Then I'd have to do at least three things. First, find an alligator that intends to cross a trail. Second, determine the path the alligator is going to take. Third, start the camera and place it on the anticipated path; but I'd 
have to do it without interfering with the alligator. That means I'd have to place the camera before the alligator started moving; and far enough from the alligator so it wouldn't change direction or stop; and, with a short
enough interval so that the alligator passes the camera before it runs out of memory. I wanted the camera to be unobtrusive, and as low as possible, so I couldn't mount it on anything.
While I was watching some alligators basking at New Horseshoe lake, an alligator turned, and I figured that it would be crossing the trail to Elm Lake. I decided to--if I could time it correctly--try to place the sport camera
in the path of the alligator and hope it would walk near or over the camera. I had to do this long before the alligator got close, or else it would either change direction (to avoid me) or stop walking entirely. The alligator 
began walking, and I placed the camera. My timing was good, but I had the camera pointing the wrong way, and the alligator walked past just barely in view. The first two images below (GATORCROSS 1 A; and 
GATORCROSS 1 B) show the alligator as it is passing the camera. The small grey object (sort of shaped like a flashlight) is the camera. The third image (OFF TO THE RIGHT) shows an image from the video clip.  
I was a bit disappointed, but not for long. The other alligator had decided to cross, too!
---
                         GATORCROSS 1 A                                                           GATORCROSS 1 B                                                 OFF TO THE RIGHT
 This time, I prepared my video camera on the tripod, and placed the sport camera in the path of the other alligator. This time, I was ready with my still camera, and two video cameras. The alligator walked directly 
towards the sport camera--in fact, it knocked over the camera! Meanwhile I took turns moving the camcorder, and shooting photos. The images below show still photos and images from frame grabs from the video
clips shot with the camcorder.
---
                            FRAMEGRAB 01                                                        FRAMEGRAB 02                                                                    PHOTO 01                                                                 PHOTO 02                             

  --
                          FRAMEGRAB 03                                                          FRAMEGRAB 04 

Finally, here are images from the sport camera video. The camera is not on any tripod, so it's hard to get it to lie straight. The idea is to be an unintrusive as possible. Although the alligator didn't walk right over the camera, 
I'm still happy with the results. I was lucky. Linked here are three video clips. One at "human level"--from the tripod (5.4 mb); one from "gator level"--on the ground (4.7 mb) ; and one clip with the footage from the
two cameras edited together (8.0 mb) . I added a bit of music to that one. The video from the front clearly shows how the alligator's foot makes a horizontal arc as it moves back and forth during walking. Today's RICKUBISCAM
shows the front leg moving forward just before the camera got knocked over. I can't believe I was able to place the camera so the alligator passed so close! 

--- -
                        FRAMEGRAB 01                                                               FRAMEGRAB 02                                                              FRAMEGRAB 03                                                         FRAMEGRAB 04     

 
                        OLD RICKUBISCAM
Update 01/03/09--When I watched the video of the alligator coming towards the camera, I could see a big difference in the vertical alignment of the front leg compared to the rear leg. Note how the femur, tibia/fibula, and foot
are in a straight vertical line in the back leg while the front leg swings out to the side--and the humerus is out of line with the radius/ulna and foot of the front leg (look at framegrab 04 above). I was able to find some interesting
ideas in this study:  LOCOMOTION IN ALLIGATOR MISSISSIPPIENSIS: KINEMATIC EFFECTS OF SPEED AND POSTURE AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO THE  SPRAWLING-TO-ERECT PARADIGM by 
STEPHEN M. REILLY AND JASON A. ELIAS Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
This study indicates that among "quadrapedal tetrapods" (A tetrapod is an animal with 4 limbs, or one that has 4-limbed animals in its ancestry ( a snake is classed as a tetrapod); while a quadraped is an animal that walks 
on four legs), crocodilians are unique for walking at varied levels--sprawling or walking. It is generally thought that quadrapeds are grouped as "sprawlers"--lizards and amphibians; or "erect walkers"--mammals and dinosaurs; 
with crocodilians being "semi-erect" because of the high-walk. It was also generally thought that crocodilians might represent some kind of evolutionary step between the two other modes of walking.
However, this study indicates that the mechanics of the alligator "sprawl" and the "high walk" are not really much different, and that the "sprawl" is actually a sort of really low "high walk". (The alligator high walk has been defined
as a "walking trot". A "trot" is when a quadraped--such as a horse--moves forward by moving diagonal pairs of legs forward. (Right forelimb moves up at the same time as left hind limb, and then alternates.). The alligator moves
this way, but at a walking pace--hence "walking trot".  The ancestors of alligators were actually bipedal digitigrades (this means that these creatures walked on TWO legs, and on their toes (this isn't odd. Lots of animals walk on
their toes. Dogs and cats do, so do birds.)) Alligators now are quadrupedal plantigrades (they walk on 4 legs, and on the flats of their feet (the long bones of their feet--metatarsals--are parallel with the ground). Bears, raccoons,
and humans are also plantigrades.). So, the alligators method of walking is probably an adaptation back from bipedalism, and so can't be used as a model for a possible intermediate method of going from a sprawling gait to 
an erect one.

5/18/2008--Walking alligators. Here it is, near the end of alligator mating season (March-May). Alligators seems to have eased off bellowing--at least on the mornings that I go out to the park. But, I just might be getting there after it happens. 
Temperatures have been rising, and I haven't seen large numbers of alligators upon the banks. Today, however, the alligators were crossing the trails quite frequently.  At around 11:40 am, I saw this alligator move to short wooden footbridge
at 40-Acre Lake. After sitting under the bridge for about 15 minutes, it walked underneath the bridge and entered Pilant Slough. The anigif below shows part of the walk.

Then, around 1:00pm, I was on the South side of Elm Lake, not far from the chemical toilets. I had been watching a large alligator that had just gotten into the water.  There was another smaller alligator in the water 
nearby, which seemed to have been driven off by this large one.  A group of park visitors had stopped, and I was talking to them about alligator behavior.  I indicated the large one, and was describing how I expected
it to climb out of the water and lie along the bank. I had just spoken about this, and was saying how this alligator might be dominant in that vicinity, when he (possibly "he" because of the size) climbed out of the 
water--as if on cue.
The visitors got excited, and I was going to say something else about his movements, when I noticed the he did NOT turn sideways, but just continued walking right towards my camera, and towards me! I'm always 
entranced by the slow, measured pace that a large unstressed alligator takes as it high-walks. I couldn't remain entranced, because I believed that the alligator would have walked right through my tripod. I briefly 
entertained the thought of letting him walk through it, but changed my mind and moved my camera (it would have fallen and gotten broken). The series of images below are the frame captures from the video clip as
he moved towards me, and I moved the camera. And here is the link for the short video clip (wmv 5.8mb).
-----
I have been at the park, and watching alligator movements and reading about them, for about 8 years. On these very pages, I have posted clips of them walking on land. Therefore, I'm speaking with some authority when
I say that I knew that the alligator had absolutely NO interest in me at all.  I could tell this from experience, and from reading the alligator's body language.  Part of my job at the park is to educate park visitors whenever 
possible. In some situations, this can be done through explanation. In others, I hope to educate by example.

 
While the alligator moved towards me, I moved slowly, and at the same pace that he did.  Although I had to reach towards the alligator to get my tripod, I took one step back, one step to the side, and one step towards the camera--at
the same pace he was walking. Then I slowly (at the same speed) picked up the tripod, stepped back and out of his path, and set the tripod back down. I did not speak. At all times that I was still in front of him, I kept full concentration 
on his head and upper body. I was quite far from him (not within his reach) during all of this. By watching the head, I could verify that he was not tracking me.  An alligator is most comfortable in the water. It's the alligator's shelter, its 
food source, and its communication medium. An alligator is more vulnerable on land, even though it will lie on it, or walk over it.  Even a large alligator on land is more likely to be defensive. By moving at the same pace as the 
alligator, I didn't send possible visual cues that would cause a defensive reaction. By not speaking, I didn't set off any auditory alarms, either. Once I was out of his path, I did not move any more. By remaining by my tripod, I probably
presented a more stationary profile. On the alligator's end, I suspect (by observation--I have not verified by reference) that the larger alligators do assert more dominent traits--such as walking as though everything else will give way.
Therefore, the alligator "decided" that it was going to cross the trail, and I would give ground. Once I was out of the alligator's path, I definitely held no interest for it, and I could film at my leisure. Unfortunately, I had my cameras 
zoomed to film him a bit further away, so everything is quite close.  I could have moved further back, but I wanted to limit all movement--especially of something as large as my legs--once I got out of his way. While I was filming on my 
side, some of the park visitors were filming also. Some of them were nice enough to get together and send me a picture of the crossing from their viewpoint. I'm hoping they'll sent their short clip, too. What's important is that they sent
the photo, and gave me permission to use it. I was told that giving them credit was unncessary--so I'm not going to name anyone here. A BIG thanks to you all, though! Today's RICKUBISCAM is cropped from the photo. Below is the
full shot, resized for this page.
-----
The alligators are a big reason that many visitors come out to our park. They are the biggest reason I began to volunteer there. The alligators are beautiful, majestic, complex creatures.  It gives me a thrill every single
time I see one walk by me. By exercising care and giving the respect due to all animals, all visitors to the park could potentially enjoy such a sight.  The most important point is to stay clear of the alligators, and follow
the park signs. Do NOT approach them, do NOT feed them, do NOT harass them. The alligators, like all the wildlife at the park, have priority.  Sometimes, just staying clear isn't enough, because animals move, after all.
Just using a little common sense, keeping a clear head, and showing consideration for all life forms; sometimes one can have a wonderful interaction with living wild creatures.  By following these simple guidelines, 
everyone who visits the park can enjoy sights like these and can insure that other people will enjoy them as well.  Listen closely to the video clip. Near the end, amongs the excited exclamations, there's a male voice 
saying something like "It was worth the drive out here just to see that!" He's certainly right. I see something worth the drive every time I go out there.
Not too long (maybe 15 minutes) after this crossing I heard a headslap on that side of the trail. I slowly moved towards where I thought the sound came from. At about 1:30 (about 20 minutes after the big one crossed), 
another alligator (it looked a bit smaller than the first one) crossed the trail from Pilant Slough into Elm Lake. I turned and was just able to catch the end of the crossing. It crossed right next to the pier. The anigif below 
shows the pictures I shot.
  

10/22-10/29/2006-ALLIGATOR PARTY!--BBSP recieved a large amount of rain the week before October 22 (which was a Sunday). This caused water to flow over parts of the park that have been totally dry for a time that 
could extend from 3 months to over a year. When this water eventually made its way through Old Horseshoe Lake and into New Horseshoe lake, it carried large amounts of silt and decaying material. This caused a probably
oxygen depletion in New Horseshoe Lake which--in turn--caused a massive fish kill. Large numbers of dead and dying fish appeared at the surface of the lake.   And the alligators began feasting.
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Somehow, news of this occurrance spread through the alligators in the park (perhaps it was the odor of decaying fish; or maybe even the sound of alligator jaws working, and predatory splashing which carried the news) 
and a massive alligator picnic came into being for most of the week between 10/22 and 10/29. Although I was at the park for most of that week, I was attending some training, and didn't have time to observe anything until
Friday (10/27).  What a sight! During that week we had a cold front pass through (with a LOT more rain). The cool air, and the rain dropped the temperatur of the air and the water. The engorged alligators, seeking heat
(thermal energy) to help them digest, massed on the banks of New Horseshoe lake to absorb solar energy. I could see some alligators near the benches of the far bank, so I walked towards them. When I crossed a low 
point, I found some alligator prints (and tracks from other animals as well!)--really LARGE alligator prints. The image above shows a back footprint and front footprint with 2 quarters for scale.   The first picture below 
(PRINTS CLOSER) is a little better shot. Alligators have 4 toes on the rear feet, and 5 toes on their front feet. Of these, only the three inner toes (those closest to the body) have claws on them. Look at the footprints, 
and you can see the deep marks made by the claws.
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                         PRINTS CLOSER                                                  PRINTS AND MY HAND                                            INTERESTING BENCH VIEW                                    ANOTHER, BIGGER PILE!       

 
                     REALLY FULL ALLIGATOR
I rounded the curve, and cresting the small rise, I could see the bench, and in front of it there were eleven alligators (see INTERESTING BENCH, above). I moved slowly past the rear of the bench, moving slowly and
quietly. About 30 feet past the first pile, there was another pile of about 14 more alligators! (see ANOTHER BIGGER PILE, above). I just stood there, enjoying the company of this mass of reptiles. Some of them gaped,
some changed position. I took some pictures. Behind me, about 50 feet away, there was a large flock of Ibises feeding in the marshy grass. Something spooked them after about 10 minutes, and they all took off, 
splashing and flapping. The noise startled the alligators, and some of them moved into the water.
After some time, they began to climb back onto the shore. Remember, they needed that sunlight! I took a picture of this one as it hauled itself back up onto land. (see REALLY FULL ALLIGATOR, above.) Look at that 
swollen belly! There's a LOT of fish in there. Sunday, 10/29, was another great day. By then, the fish were gone. That interesting dead fish odor was gone. The alligators were still there basking, though. I watched a couple
park visitors near one of the benches and got this great picture. (See WHAT DO THEY SEE?, below) The two women are looking off into the woods; and it appears that the alligator is watching them, wondering, "What 
are they looking at?". Here's a bigger version of the same image. As the day wore on, more Park Staff and Volunteers appeared in the area, partly to be sure that all human/alligator interactions were peaceful; and just 
because the alligators were there. Here's Chuck, one of the volunteers, monitoring the area near the benches (see KEEP YOUR DISTANCE, below).

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           WHAT DO THEY SEE?                                                     KEEP YOUR DISTANCE                                          PASSING THROUGH 1                                                    PASSING THROUGH 2              
         WHAT DO THEY SEE? 640                                                                                                                            PASSING THROUGH? 640 

 
                   PASSING THROUGH 3
After a few hours, the "first basking shift" began returning to the water as they got warm. However, it was evidently time for some of the alligators to leave the party. At about 1:30pm, one of the basking alligators-instead of 
returning to the water-walked uphill and crossed the trail (see PASSING THROUGH 1-3 above, and 4-5 below).  This is always a thrill for me. I'm always watching the alligators near me, and by its body language, I knew the
alligator would be coming my way. I cleared the people from its path, and the alligator just kept walking. We want to keep a clear field in front of the alligators. An alligator is vulnerable out of the water, and confronting or 
bothering it could cause it to stand its ground or begin defensive behavior.  We don't want this. This alligator walked through the grass and into a shallow extension of Pilant Lake.

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                  PASSING THROUGH 4                                                  PASSING THROUGH 5                                                   SIGNAGE TOUR 1                                            SIGNAGE TOUR2                                                                                                                                                                           

     SIGNAGE TOUR 3  SIGNAGE TOUR 3 640

About an hour later, another alligator decided to leave the party. I noticed this one while it was still in the water, and I knew it was examining the bank above it. I was talking about  that alligator to some visitors when it started walking
out of the water. Then, it passed right by the display plaque, and one of our "CAUTION, ALLIGATORS" signs. (see SIGNAGE TOUR 1-3 above, 4-7 below) This alligator turned and went into Elm Lake. As I did before, and always,
I made sure that all humans were out of the alligator's path.
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                      SIGNAGE TOUR 4                                                          SIGNAGE TOUR 5                                                   SIGNAGE TOUR 6                                                       SIGNAGE TOUR 7
It's been wonderful to see so much water return to the park.

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.

   Crocodilian.com

    Adam Britton's Pages 1

    Adam Britton's Pages 2

    Fish and Wildlife Page (Text)

    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

           Go back to my home page, Welcome to rickubis.com
           Go back to the RICKUBISCAM page.
           Go back to the See the World page.