Denizens of the Swamp
Tank the Big Swamp Mama
We found Tank motionless on top of solid ground that runs along the main streams of the swamp. She eyed us calmly. It’s hard to believe that we were standing that close to such a formidable animal. I mean one thrust of that mighty tail and we would’ve been goners. Isn’t she exquisite, though? Look at her. How many shoes and bags do you think she’d make?
Steve Scott said that in the beginning, when the guides descended upon her, she would run and hide with all her babies. Now that she has become accustomed to being fed juicy chicken legs every 5 minutes by the tourist hordes, she remains seated in a state of contented, bovine torpor. (There might even be a bovine inside her) In fact, we tried to feed her, but she did not budge. Her son did venture forth, however, to nibble on a tasty chicken liver. He stuck his long nose up at the sweet marshmallow.
Generally speaking, the babies are kicked out of the nest when they are around 3 feet long. Tank is a good, protective mother.
Clubber
At first, I thought they had placed a big, plastic alligator on shore for us all to marvel at. Not so. He was as real as they make them. He also did not move. Well, can he move? Do you see the rolls of fat around his neck? I think that the strategy of this tour company is to keep these monsters so well fed that not one of them will ever fly up onto a flimsy airboat and drag some poor schmuck back into the filthy, muddy swamp water ne’er to be seen again. These beasts will take one look at our scrawny, bony, (or fat) bodies and think, “Gawd, I’m not THAT hungry. No offense.” None taken, buddy.
Did you know that these people of Crocodilia persuasion are able to hoist themselves 3/4 of their length out of the water? Isn’t that something? And while they may seem slow and sleepy, it’s all a pretense. They are sizing you up and when they are ready to spring into action you will not know what hit you due to their shocking speed. Yes, they are speed demons.
Jack
Can you imagine trudging through the swamp as an early pioneer, for example, and you come upon something like this? What do you do? This is the man who scared poor little Popeye. How can you tell the difference between a male and a female alligator? You can’t, except for the length. If the animal is more than 10 feet it is male. And if the animal is surrounded by baby gators, then, of course, it’s a mama. It is a real fight for survival to get this big. Only 2% of alligators born make it to adulthood. The guides know about 10 alligators by name. But, there are hundreds more in this swamp that shun humans.
Popeye
Popeye has a bump over his eye and nobody knows why. He looks like an eager up-and-comer to me. He came paddling in like a dog when he was called by a series of weird clucks. I should’ve recorded that. Steve says he can’t growl like a gator but he can cluck at them as if he’s calling a dog.
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