Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-05-05
WAYSOF ALLIGATORS
THE SAURlAN AT CLOSE RANGE IN
HIS FLORIDA HOME.
Gov the Female Lays Her Eggs and Cares
For Her Youns-A Mother Will Fight
ANYTHING That Threatens Her Babies.
Diet and Luxuries of Alligators.


rivers If that genial land, IS the allisa
for \ few years ago this desire was
aasilv pratified, but the great saurian is
ro,nnaratiycly rare nowadays along the
3ldcr routes Of travel. This is due partly
10 the bullets Of %he visitors and partly
- H. -lIots ;iildI-+rat1s rffte il.ys lo1.t.
i~,2ta ALLIGATOR hunter. Who finds il
rba- f7rsuir the th.of means Of supper;
FIN, li,,,self and =. family.
Iris in tha.Gou,o businesses # the m
lq,d s1ranns and everglades that ALI.
gators NAV lie seer; in great numbers or
a briyhr day. lashiuc in the sunshine,
They. ara errol-ariol,s and love to assem-.
bic in such ulaccs. whore they bring
their TWO rows # strong teeth together
with prolig;ous CHATTER and roar with
noise that resembles thunder.
The female makes her nest in the sand
near the waters edge. scraping a hole
with her paws and dropping the ege1 il
2 regular LAYER. Then she scrapes grass.
leaves. mud and sand over them, on
these places another layer, and 50 con.
Times alternate LAYERS until the nest
contains from 80 to 40 eggs. As the hole
is rarely deem enough to hold all these.
the result is a decided mound easily de-
tected by the experienced hunter, who
finds ready sale for the eggs as curiosi-
ties. They are white. hard shelled ard
rather larger than a hens egg. If he
prefers to await their Matching, he Sc.
cures q fine lot Of little alligatcrs, for
which also there is ALWAYS a ready sale.
While she thus leaves her prospective
children TO the doubtful guardianship
If the earth. the mother does not desert
them. Patiently she keeps watch over
the nest in which they lie, never allow
ing that mound Of sand to be long cut
# her sight. How she knows exactly
whom the little folk are ready. like the
emanc;nated chicken. to ston out Of their
shells and take their first peep at the
world, who shall saw: But, ali the same.
II is n fact that. however far afield he,
excursions NAV previously have been.
th- dav and the hour e that hapuy
event in hor family circle find her %
the SPOT ready To gather tho little ones
under her wing. as it were, and Lad
them 10 their future home in the water
that lies before them.
This watchful care the motl.er con.
Times until her babies are old enough tc
forage for themselves and tleir scales
are firm enough t. enable them to dis
pense with her protection. The extent
to which the Young allirat.jrs or croco.
dies REQUIRE this vatchfQl care can
hardly be realized by those that are net
familiar with their habits, for the little
ones are terribly prosecuted by birds ard
beasts and even by their kinsmen, the
bull alliyators, which sometimes eat a
dozen or two Of their own children ut 9
meal. The mother On such occasi ions
has been known to turn and fight the
unnatural monsters with such f'.ry as t.
put them to flight 1t is not Only the
bull alligator that she will attaca when
alarmed for the safety Of her you ag-she
often holds the mot experienced hunt
ers at bay until l.er little charges have
time to flee to q place Of safety.
The sight presented Ly the mother,
surrounded ard followed II whole
brood Of her little c.-as. l. Pleasing
one, bat Let an enemy ccme in view and
the scene ceases u le II .asant. In the
twinkIinr Of an eve the little oncs dash
away int the mysterious shadows, and
the pIac.d mother lccgmss transformed
into a raging fury, fairy churning the
cuietwaters into waves in her mad rush
to do battle with tho intrudors. Without
this incentive # maternal affection,
however, il is but seldom that an ALI.