Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-07-12
STUDIES IN.
NATURAL HISTORY
By JAMES HENRY RICE, Jr.
The ALLIGATOR

THE ALLIGATOR
Order .rnrndiIia: Genus. Alligator;
Family, Cru,u.ididac; Spccir:', .I.%i:;-
#ipnicnHs.
r'Iar range Of tic Alligator is from
Tic mouth Of lie NciiSr river in Eurth
Caroiinn. south tn Florida and west To
thS Rin t;randc. Seldom il tvaI, il it
found above the fall linz in the rivers
Of he. interior ana generally far Laluw
One needs 10 hc reminded that Alii-
e. tors are not distant kinSln"n Gf
birds and that they arc presumed, with
rather convincing evidence, to have
been descended from common an-
cestur. Even Hupcriicially they have
much in common. for both lay cg:ST.
both have II single vent and the All-
gators heart is morc highly developed
than any other reptile. There are
wide points Of difference One feature
Of the bird distinguishes it from Ill
other animals: namely, The feather
covering. There is no other distin-
gushing characteristic.
The Alligator is distinguished from
Crncodilcs. among other things by the
arrange r,cnt Of lis teeth and hy irs
triangular snout. while its nasal
groove is divided by. the nasal bones.
There arc seventeen 10 twcEt% teeth in
the upper jaw; eighteen to twenty in
the lower. The hard back is formed by
six to eight hory shields which arc not
articul;ltcd, tut joined by skin ana
stand close together. y,
On the sides of the anir,a, below
the water line the skin offers little
protection. have killed Il largc Ali
gator with Il load Of No. SHOT, which
entered the side;
: Winter Hon1cs.
On the approach of winter, Alliga-
tors dig holes in The sides OF hanks on
in ponds sometimes beneath the watCTI
and retire into them for the hiherEaS y
ton period. On emerging in spring
they arc at first sluggish and incapa-
hlc uf active motion, also easy tn ap-
pr0ach. AS warm weather comes on
..hcy become active and the hulls VAIL
der about in search of the females.
Batt'cB take place then, fierce, snnglli-
nary. relentless. The larsest Alligator
/ ever killed had lost his right iorclcs'
cut off smooth next To the body This
was probably done by ii rival Sei4nS
the leg in his teeth and whirilnE NM
self! around until tho member WAS
wrcnchcd Off. This is Il common habit.
As this particular bull WIS in company
with two females. hc seemed To !lav-
overcome his disability. Perhaps sumo
man had cmpticd lead int" the rival
leaving the old bul! maS:"r of tho field
This Alligator measured twelve feet,
two inches: and was uf cnprnl"ll* EIrln'
too argc TO squeeze through IN "r"i-
nury door. Such Sp"cirmns are E'.c
indeed Ii"riII,liy Hnd -iiiiii'ir5 h'Ih
plar" sixteen feet III thu rXlr'
irrgth Tf an Alligator, allh"G;;i' nci-
Iltcr ;,ivr:; such Il record from ;ta hclu-
al specimen.
one If lny warden; in Georgia, ears
ago told nc lhat hc killed u"c hllGr
%,,c"imcn at night i;rtt measured H'%-
,rru feet, one inch. far III" h;r;;":'l nc
had ever s:ru. lIis man, u. ". M;tH-
ming, is 81 irvilIuI Witness, "nt aHvch
iu r::aggcyalinn. hunted IlllG'llcra '"I
Years for Il living in flnr:d' an"
ficurts;u and knew Whai ilr was t'ikihE
ul,u,,t. believe hH spoke the truth
Bulls Arc Largest,
ynu can hear anywhere nf fifteen t"
t,urutr foot Aliiyatnr:; and when iiI''I%-
ir.iinr is .sivcu rein there L.: 10 limit
lu length.
Only ;.ir bulls; attain Lit" ;r:;"#l SIZE
uIthun.;i captive fcnIalc:; III, F!"rI'ii
! lG,, ,Ii:tiD .rrf fl.Ieitli1E.n-