The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-02
TOLD OF THE ALLIGATOR.
MS Frugal FAREAND BONG 81 EEF
IN WINTER QUARTERS.
Another rIlbrrnntor THAT Gets AienE without
HrenthinE-AbiIuy OF tho Saurinns to Ge
without Food - Dry-Lnnd FIshinE Tor
misunderstanding or The Alligator ne Feed.

NGntors-Quniitics or The Alligator na Food.
COLUMBIA. g. C., Dec. 10. Commenting ON
nm article in THE Sun concerning alternating
animals. nm old huntor. and conscuuently a
close student Of natural history. remarked that
the naturalist who was quoted had omitted the
greatest hibcrnator of them all-thc alligator.
THE alligator" ho said. "s certainly one Of
the most remarkable of all hibernators, In fact.
perhaps the most remarkable. IL is the only
amphibious animal I recall belonging TO that
class. and II IL Is . fact. ma sta ed nv the natnral.
list in TIE SUS, that all the animals he mentions
begin their long winters sleep on empty
stomnchs, tho alligator is tho execution To the
rule. With the first black frost thousands Of
these hidcous creatures, from tho twolvo.inch
yellow and black yearlings Of tho previous
springs Matching TO the sixtcen.foot monsters
that can null down a horse, retire for tho vim
ter. Alligators abound in salt and fresh water
rivers as far Nh rs tide water extends and I'm the
adjacent inland swamps from North Carolina
to the Gulf. While they may wander many
miles during tho summer from tho spot of high
land where in the spring the hugo nest of tho
female was made and tho bushcl Of eggs laid
for the sun to hatch, in the fall the alligators re-
turn thithor. Near their nest il their hole.
''Thcsc holes are sometimes. if tho saurian 10
an inhabitant Of an inland swamp, dug like q
well in some wood, but more often tho mouth OF
tho hole is beneath the surface Of the water.
the excavation extending under tho bank. with
his powerful feet and claws the alligator digs
almost straight down from eight TO twelve feet:
he then makes n horizontal passage for some
distance and finally takes an upward turn,
coming to within n short distance of the surface
of the Garth and above tho level of water in the
swamp or marsh where no may be. Ho now
prepares a place sufficiently large for him to lie
at full length out of tho water. Here it is that
he takes his long winters sleep, and rs no air
can penetrate to that point. he must do without
breathing.
But tho alligator does not go to bed on an
empty stomach. Nature requires something to
h. In his o,,r,ooh t,,t rotbir, IN th, NO., % ,r.
binary food-not even the leg of a horse or u
tho sako NJ ,ornfnrt hhs ,.otorsL;r sya,,ows .
nio,a nc 1901 ASn, 40 anrthinn ~ smItob,"
size will answer the purpose, but the most
palatable tid.bit in this section seems to be n
iightwood knot. AlligatOrs have been killed in tho
early spring with remains of one Of these knots in
their stomachs. beautifully polished. The animal
probably takes in this hard substance Just to
stay his stomach, for it can probably live longer
any other creature. There are stories; some
markable powers in this direction. A hunter
nn,as1nn po s"'nn ' ,n ~, ua' .nao ~ .hs
alligator was making his way from one pond to
another emf , slit In tho tsl and n.ss;no ,
80 ~ 'H0 '""' -" p
rope through IT, put inc other END over a hmo
and hauled the alligator up in lynching style
unti, his head was several feet from rho Ground
m 80 49,, , ~
Inc captor intended 10 return tor MS prizo
the next day, but something interfered. Sew
eral months afterward he nnssed that wav and
W. ". lN.aui'n, y a., 200 -
was astonished 10 ma the creature sui awe.
I'm another case one summer an alligator
,b,ut four foot long was caught near , gen,Ie.
~. ~ 80 .ne rs. 80 ~,
mans house and thrown into an empty barrel,
where he was forgotten. The next spring, or
eigbt uortbs aftor tbc barrel ,yas overturnod
o ~. I've !. 90 vac
ana the gator brought TO ilght. lie was noo
only alive. but had grown about six inches.
ro nod grown bowcy er In tho curved sba NO NJ
o :" -, ~
the bottom OF the barrel. his Tall just reachcd
to his mouth, and he could only run in a circle.
presentipp the most ludicrous spectaole. In a
week or two the back became somewhat less
rigid, and the gator was set at liberty.
Nv .ho 1910.