Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-02-23
An NGLy 6Z/1YcH ~

of the tongue prevents the water from
passing into its lungs.
While the alligator is said to make
very effective use of its tail in war
fare the widely disseminated story
that it uses its tail to sweep animals
of the banks into its jaws appears to
have but slight foundation in fact.
In April or May the mother alliga-
tor builds small mound with a hole
In the middle. The foundation of this
mound is of mud and grass, and on
these she lays some eggs. She then
covers thu eggs with another stratum
Of grass AID mud, upon which she de-
posts some more eggs. Thus she pro-
ceeds until she has laid from Is to 60
eggs. The eggs ere Matched out by
the sun.
AS soon as they have Clipped the
she'll the baby alligators are led to
the water by the mother, who provides
them with food. which she disgorges.
Papa alligator has to be carefully
watched at this time, for he highly es!
teens dinner of young saurians and
is not particular whether they are hia
own or his neighbours children. When
by strategy or downright fighting tho
mother has got her family safely into
their natural element it is not long
before the young scatter, each to be-
gin life on his own hook At this
period they form favorite food for
turtles and the larger fishes.
When fully grown the alligator ID
about 16 feet in length. In the adult
stage 1t Is greenish black above, hav.
ing lost the yellowish color bands
that belong to its earlier years. Hunt.
ers say that alligators grow very
slowly, attaining the first year q length
of about one foot. When two feet In
length they are said to be from 10 to
Is years old, while those IL feet long
are supposed to Is OF more. Their
normal life is estimated at from 100
to $50 years.
Alligator hunting originally began
as sport. Then some one tanned the
skin and found that it could be put to
commercial use. Carried on as II
must be. at night, the hunt is pictur.
esque.
In many places the hunters 7asten
bicycle lamps on their caps, and when
the animal is attracted by the light
pick It OF by hitting it in the eye with
rifle ball. Torches are often used.
Sometimes the hunter lures the ALI:
| gator to the surface Of the water by
"telephoning to the gator" as it IL
called.
An alligator Is always attracted BY
the peculiar grunt which the young al.
ligators make, for there is no sort Of
food they love better than the newly
Matched gator. The hunter takes q
long, slender pole and let's one end
of it down very quietly on to the wa,
ter. The other end he places between
his teeth and initiates the grunt oil
the baby gators. The old fellows eas1
lily hear the call and come to feast on
the babies they think are there.
Alligators three feet and more In
length are generally killed at once
and the hide removed. All Of the hide
except the ridge of the back, which ID
very bony, Is used. The hide is sailed
and Is then condition for sale to the
buyers, who are usually storekeepers,
who furnish provisions and ammuni
ton in exchange
The hides range in value to the hunt
ers from 20 cents for three-foot hidt
to $1.25 for hide seven feet or morA
in length. The five and six foot hides
are the most desirable, as the larger
hides have hard piece of bone in the
square checks on the hide, and it ID
impossible to sew through this. Near
ly all Of the tanning is done at New.
ark. N. ].
Young alligators are often brought
In, and they are worth about eight
cents apiece.