Sunday, April 26, 2015

Going Out To Swim With Alligators Is A Huge Thrill

By Alta Alexander


Alligators and crocodiles are pre historic creatures and are still very much around. They are truly beautiful animals but they do require that people respectfully keep their distance. Those that swim with alligators do so when they are on a leash and when their mouths are securely taped closed. Keeping out of the way of their powerful tails is also very important.

There are many people that are not sure what the difference is between an alligator and a crocodile and to be honest there are many similarities between the two. First of all there are three family groups of crocodiles namely the alligatoridae, the alligator and the caiman fall under this one. The crocodylidae, the gavialidae and the true crocodile falls under the next group. The last one is the gharial. So alligators are a different family from the crocodiles.

Many people actually keep these animals as pets but if one is looking for a friendly and loving animal it is advisable to give this one a miss. Many experts say that these animals should never be kept and should instead go for the geckos, skinks or even the non poisonous snakes. Only those that have the resources to keep these and are very experienced can look into it. They are exceptionally expensive to keep as well.

They have been around the longest when it comes to all crocodilians and can measure up to six and a quarter metres in length. They have a very long and thin snout and there are one hundred and ten very sharp teeth. The male of the specie has a bulb on the end of the nose and this is referred to as a ghara.

Try to avoid any areas that they inhabit or otherwise always have someone with. Keep the splashing to a minimum as they generally will come to investigate thinking there is any easy catch. They are animals and will always act on instinct and ultimately will attack.

Captive ones can be fed with live pinkie mice, earthworms, super-worms, crickets and crayfish as well as krill and turtle pellets. Many feed them goldfish but is has been noted that being fed these continuously can cause a deficiency in Vitamin E. The hatchlings should be fed regularly every two days and sometimes daily. The teenage adults can be fed two to three times a week and the adults one to two times per week.

These are less likely to spend a lot of time in water as they generally live in mostly shaded areas with fast moving water in the wild. They do not like to be in a lot of light during the day and seem to be more active at night. Ensure that their area is large so they can explore and if there is no water in the enclosure it is not a train smash.

Another noticeable difference is that alligators often reach lengths of fourteen to fifteen feet in length, whereas the crocodiles are a little shorter. The salt water crocodile can reach to eighteen feet and others still twenty feet in length. Much smaller species can only reach about five feet and these are the African dwarf crocodile.




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