The American alllgator (Alligator mississippiensis):-2-

Ila,. la a direct desoendant ofdinosaure that first appeared more than 200 mllllon years ago;

Ila,. Belongs to a group of cokl-blooded animals (ectotherms) that includes snakes, lizards and turtles;

-.,. Derives Its name fl'om the Spanish word for lizard, el lagisrto;

-.,. Plays an Important role In the ecology of Florida's wetlands by creating gator holes that support fish and wildlife during times of drougbt;

Ila,. Is listed as a •species of speclal concern• In the State at Ronde, and is listed federally as ·threatened" due to similarity In appearance to the •endangered" Amedcan crocodlle;

Ila,. Lives In fresh or brackish water, lncludlng golf course watsr hazards, canals, lakes, marshes, swamps, rlwrs, creeks and ponds;

-.,. Has four short legs with 1M toes on its front f8et and four webbed toes on Its hind feet that assist In swimming:

... Is darkly colored with a broad snout and has large ridges on Its back and tail called acutes (pronounced scoots};

lilb,. Liws for 3035 years in the wild; can liw for mora Ulan 50 years In captivity;

..,_ As an adult male In the wlld, can gJl1N as long as 14 feet and weigh more Ulan 1,000 pounds;

... Basks in the sun to help warm its scaly body;

.... Adults eatjust about anything - fish, birds, turtles, crabs, raccoons, dogs, cats, snakes, carrion (dead anlmals) and even other alligators;

-.,. HasJaws strong enougb to crush 111e sllell of a turtle;

... Rips and swallows Its food but cannot chew;

lilia.. Can stay below water wlttlout air for more Ulan two hours during winter;

.... Is a very fast awimmer and capable of short bursts ofspeed {lunglng) on land;

lilb,. Moves on land by llftlng Its body and part of Its tall and running on Its toes;

-.,. Stalks prey quickly and sllently and drowns or crvshes Its prey;

lilia.. Becomes sexually mature when It approaches 6 feet In length. Malaa t181181 far, in water or CM1r land, in aearch ofa mate• Females construct nests of sticks, leaves and mud to Incubate their egga fOr about 65 days. The tempe,at\118 of the naat detennlnes the gender of the hatchllngs: lower temperatures produce females; highar tempemtur&S yield males;

..,_ Is unusually maternal for a reptile and guards her nest untll her 20 to 50 eggs hatch. She Is never far from her young and may protect them flercely.

For more lnfonnatlon, visit MyFWC.com/gators

MASTER OF THE MARSH SanibelIllustrations drawn by members of the

School Seventh Grade Community Problem Solving Team including: Kaitlyn Herman, Maura Dowling, Shawn McCamey, Elle Farrell, Jimmy Shannon and Laura Tumer, with guidance from their coach, Dr. 1\1sh Hennan of Barry University. Design/ layout by Renny Severance. Addltlonal drawings contributed by Dave Horton, Pete Turner and Frank Olcvary.

Community Problem Solving (CmPS) teams worldwide identify problems facing their communities and offer solutions. As a result of fatalities caused by alligator attacks in Florida, the Sanibel School 7th Grade CmPS team developed All About All/gators to show how to Interact with these powerful reptiles. Their goal Is to prevent further destruction of alllgators due to human Ignorance.

Many thanks to our panel of experts on alligators including: Toni Westland, Jeff Combs and Kevin

Godsea of J.N. "Ding" Darting National Wildlife Refuge; Lt Jamie Phillips and Chief

Wllllam Tomllnson of the Sanibel Pollce Department; Dr. Rob Loflin of the City of Sanlbel Conservation Department; naturallst/alllgator handler Mark Bird Westall; Kristle Anders of the Sanlbel­Ceptiva Conservation Foundation; Harry Dutton with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and wildlife veterinarians Dr. P J Deitschel and Dr. Amber McNamara.

Fundingforthis printing provided bythe Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Commission, May 2007.

Myt=WC.com/gators

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AllAboutAlligators Is dedicated to the memory of Janie Melsek, who died on July 23, 2004 after an alllgator attack, and to the heroes who came to her rescue and tried to save her.

C 2005, L. Lagarto -3-

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Adult male alligators can weigh more than 1,000 pounds and grow as long as 14 feet.

,.--.Never approach o ~ •r ,eed an alligator. -5 -

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Feeding alligators makes them lose their fear of humans.

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A hand-fed alligator becomes a nuisance and will be trapped and destroyed. -7-

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\{\ $50().0C

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If you feed an alligator, you are breaking the law and face up to a $500 fine and/or 60 days in jail. If you are caught more than once you could face additional fines or days in jail.

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Alligators eat fish, turtles, snails, birds, small mammals -just about anything that wanders by.

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Children should always have a grown-up nearby when playing near, or in, fresh or brackish water. Keep pets on a leash and away from the water's edge.

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Never wade or swim in fresh or brackish water outside of designated swimming areas.

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~ <l;,.,.A Dense native shrubs around bodies of fresh/brackish water can discourage alligators from sunning in your yard.

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_A_ Adult alligators dig holes or take care of holes that hold water year-round.

Other fish and wildlife use gator holes during times of drought. - 13 -

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A female alligator can be fiercely protective of her nest, eggs and young. She is never far from her hatchlings.

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Hey kids! What did you learn about me?

The American alligator: ♦ Is a direct descendant of ____________

tllat ltved more tnan ________years ago. (p. 2)

♦ creates ___________ , which help tlsh and

wildlife survive during timu of (p. 2, .13)

♦ Is similar In appearance to the endangered _______

and is listed federally as--------~ (p. 2)

♦ lil/88 in ______or______water. (p. 2)

♦ can weigh more Ulan _______pounds and grow as

long as as an adult male. (p. 2)

♦ eats juat about _________ including (name 2)

_______and ______• (p. 2, 9)

♦ ________and _______ ltsfood but

cannot _______.. (p. 2)

♦ should never be _____or_______.• (P, 5)

♦ loses Its _____of humans when It Is ____, (p. 6)

♦ becomes a _________ when it is hand-fed and wtll be _______and ______•(p. 7)

♦ Is a danger to anyone who wades, swims In or plays near ________or ______water,especlally

children and pets. (p. 10, 11)

♦ i8 never farmim her __________ and can be

flercety ________ofthem. (p. 14)

If you feed me, you face a fine up to $ _____and/or _____ days In Jan. (p. 8)

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THE END

NEVER FEED AN ALLIGATOR

Alligators, like all wild animals, deserve respect and space. Tney are predators. Their nature IR not to oe attracted to humans.

But. en smsator loses Its natural fear of humans wnen It is t1ena,rea. 1·t cannot tell the dl'rference t>etween a piece of rood and t he hand that o'ffers It. An alligator tnot opproooM s h1Jm6ns is doomed o nuisance ont:t w111 bo tropr;iod oncJ destroyed.

This powerrui reptile may bite enytt1tng that wenoers near tts territory, so keep cn11e1ren and pets oway rrom fresh an<1 bracktsn water everywnere In Florido.

contrary to popular beller, a numan cannot elude an amgator by running In a z1g~z.ag pattern.

0 prlnlnd on rnoyol!!lf pnpnr