To kick off the season, we’re testing your knowledge on all things alligators! Brush up on your alligator facts and put yourself to the test! We’ve got a couple tricks up our sleeves.

Let’s play a little game of true or false.

First up…True or False?

Alligators rarely live past 30 years.

FALSE!

To date, the oldest alligator on record is in its early 70s!

True or False?

Alligators are unable to naturally regulate their temperatures.

TRUE!

Reptiles depend on the sun and other forms of warmth to maintain a stable body temperature.

True or False?

An alligator can go through 2,000 teeth in a lifetime.

TRUE!

Alligators have around 74 to 80 teeth in their jaws at any given time, and as they wear down or fall out they are replaced.

True or False?

Large alligators can go as long as 12 months with no food.

FALSE!

Alligators can go as long as 18 months with no food.

True or False?

Alligators often stay in groups called congregations.

TRUE!

These groups are typically seen basking in the sun or taking a swim together.

True or False?

Alligators grow to a maximum length of 10 feet.

FALSE!

Alligators can grow up to a whopping 14 feet – the longest at Alligator Alley is Captain Crunch, who is 13 feet, 8 inches.

True or False?

Alligators have poor eyesight.

FALSE!

With their eyes positioned on the sides of their head, they have a fairly wide range of sight.

True or False?

Alligators of 10 feet or longer can have as much as 1,800 pounds of bite.

TRUE!

Why do you think we call him Captain CRUNCH!?

So, how’d you do? If you answered all of these correctly, you’re an alligator expert – congratulations, farm friend! If not, don’t worry! Swing by and give us a visit this month and we’ll teach you a thing or two.

Alligators are ectothermic (or cold-blooded) and play an active role in maintaining their own body temperature. If their internal body temperature drops below 55 degrees, they physically cannot breakdown or metabolize food. There is no digestion in the winter in order to conserve energy. Smaller alligators may be able to eat further into the winter because they have a smaller body mass and can heat up and cool down faster than the large alligators.

To conserve oxygen, an alligator’s heart rate slows to two beats per minute during the winter. The heart only pumps blood to the vital organs in order to stay alive.

Alligators thrive in warm weather and are most active when their environment is between 82 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit. Alligators can remain active in environments as cool as 71 degrees Fahrenheit, however if the temperature drops any lower, alligators will dig underground burrows and remain there until warmer temperatures return, a process called brumation.

Alligators may also submerge themselves with only their nostrils remaining above the water in a process called “icing response.” As the surface of the water freezes the alligator’s body may become trapped within the ice. With their nostrils above the ice, alligators can remain submerged for up to eight hours. In serious cases, the alligator may become frozen within the water’s surface but will swim free once the ice begins to melt.

Fortunately for our alligators on the farm, the temps rarely drop low enough for this to be the case for them. The colder temperatures typical in the north are what limit the distribution of alligators to the southeastern United States.

Thankfully, the temperatures in southern Alabama rarely fall below freezing, so you can still spot alligators on the farm in the fall and winter months. We try to give them a little break during their off-season, so make sure to check our website and Facebook page for our winter hours.

1.  Most reptiles cannot chew their food, they can only tear it with their teeth and claws.

2.  Reptiles are Ectotherms.

Reptiles are often described as being cold-blooded, even though their blood is not cold. Reptiles are Ectothermic, meaning they cannot regulate their body temperatures internally like humans and other mammals do. Reptiles depend on the sun and other forms of warmth to maintain a stable body temperature. When you visit Alligator Alley next time, be on the lookout for alligators basking in the sun!

3. There are over 8,000 species of reptiles on the planet.

Reptiles can be found on every continent, aside from Antarctica. And we don’t blame them – it’s too cold!

4. Reptiles are one of the longest living species on the planet.

For example, Aldabra tortoises can live for more than 150 years; alligators can live to be 70 years old; and Ball Pythons can live for up to 40 years. If you decide to adopt a reptile as a pet, prepare yourself for a lifetime of commitment!

5. Reptiles are also the oldest animal on the planet.

Many reptiles, including turtles and crocodiles, have been on our planet for over 200 million years. Think of them as modern day dinosaurs.

6. Alligators can only be found in the United States and China.

American Alligators, including the 450 alligators here at Alligator Alley, live in the southeast United States. The Chinese Alligator is on the verge of extinction and can only be found in the Yangtze River Valley. In fact, there are more Chinese Alligators living in captivity than in the wild.

7. Baby alligators’ gender is determined by temperature.

When a mother lays her eggs, the temperature in which the eggs develop will determine the baby’s gender. Eggs exposed to temperatures of 86°F will become female, and eggs exposed to temperatures above 93°F will become male.

8. Most snakes are not harmful to humans.

Only about 500 species of snakes are venomous. Of those 500, only 30-40 species harm humans. Additionally there are 200 species of venomous snakes that are medically important. Fortunately, only six of these venomous species reside in Alabama.

9. Most reptiles are carnivores.

Most reptiles feed on insects, small animals, or other reptiles. In fact, alligators are known to prey on smaller alligators!

10. Reptiles are not slimy.

Reptiles do not have sweat glands or sebaceous glands so their skin actually remains cool, dry, and waterproof. The next time you visit Alligator Alley, take advantage of the opportunity to hold a baby alligator – you will certainly notice how dry their skin is!

We hope you feel more knowledgeable about these amazing creatures! Next time you’re in our area, make plans to visit the farm and meet our scaly friends personally. And don’t forget to share your favorite #AlligatorAdventure memory with us on Reptile Awareness Day (Oct. 21)!

 

Our name may be Alligator Alley, but our land serves as home to a diverse population of creatures. From bullfrogs to fox squirrels, we’re not your typical alligator farm. For the first time on our blog, we are shining the spotlight on some of our favorite farm friends: Hank and Moonpie! On the surface, the two may seem to be just regular old pigs. However, there’s a lot more to them than you may think!

Hank is much older than Moonpie, and he has been on the farm for over 13 years. He was born on New Year’s Day 2004. Originally, Hank came to Alligator Alley with the goal of producing offspring with his wife, Pepper. Sadly, however, Pepper passed away a few years ago, and Hank is now past his breeding years. In his old age, he loves to spend tons of time at the food trough and napping his days away! Retired life suits him very well.

Moonpie is one of the newer additions to Alligator Alley. She has only been on the farm for about three years, and became the new girl in town after Pepper passed away. She keeps old Hank company and keeps him feeling young again!

Both weighing in at a trim 500 pounds, the easiest way to tell the two apart is by their coloring. Hank is has a black body with a white belt, while Moonpie is all white. This color difference exists because they are two different types of pigs. Hank is a Hampshire pig, the earliest hogs brought to America. They were first imported around 1825 from Hampshire County in England, and they are known for their proficiency and vigor.

Moonpie is a Yorkshire pig, a breed that came to America not too long after the Hampshire in 1830. They originated in Ohio, but can now be found all over the United States. Yorkshires are known for being very productive and performance oriented, yet durable.

Hank and Moonpie are two of our favorite animals on the farm. Not only are they fun to visit, but they also add a sense of a true, all-around farm feel to Alligator Alley! Besides, what’s a farm without pigs, chickens and alligators?

If you want to come meet this month’s featured farm animals for yourself, come visit us today!

1. Get out of the house

Summer is a great time to relax in your air-conditioned house, but it’s also prime time to get out into nature and soak up some sun. Alligator Alley has plenty of wildlife to explore and plenty of spots to cool off in the shade. Take a tour of the grounds on our elevated boardwalk, get up close and personal with a baby alligator, and take a turn feeding some alligators yourself.

2. Embark on an educational adventure

Summer might mean school’s out, but that’s no reason to stop learning! At Alligator Alley, we make wildlife education fun and interactive. Between our guided tours, live feedings and hands-on interactions, you’ll leave with a whole new level of wildlife knowledge. Did you know that an alligator can go through as many as 2,000 teeth or more in its lifetime? It’s true! Visit us this summer to learn more fun facts about our scaly friends!

3. Visit Captain Crunch

Captain Crunch is one popular alligator around here, and for a good reason: he holds the world record for bite strength at 2,982 pounds! The Captain measures 13 feet 7 inches long and weighs more than 800 pounds. He’s a bit of a lone wolf and tends to keep to himself; and with a bite like that, we won’t disagree.

4. Hold a baby alligator

Get up close and personal with a real alligator by holding one of our babies. These little ones are only a few feet long and they can’t wait for their chance to hang out with the big guys! But for now they’re the perfect size for you to hold. Before you snap a photo with your alligator, be sure to check out its eyelids! Alligators have two sets of eyelids, a normal outer set like humans and a second, clear set that opens from side-to-side and helps them see under water.

5. See more than just alligators

Even though we have a large population of alligators here, we also have tons of other animals to see. Check out the turtles, green herons, bullfrogs and golden silk orb weavers hanging out with the alligators. These animals are normal inhabitants of the alligators’ ecosystem and help them feel right at home here. Don’t forget to visit Hank and Moonpie, our two hogs who love to ham it up for the camera, and our fox squirrel, Fatbaby, who loves to entertain spectators. Be sure to stop by Reno’s Reptiles to see and hold all sorts of animals including snakes, lizards, and turtles, his exhibition will be here until August, so don’t miss your chance!

Check out our summer hours and pricing to start planning your trip! Also, make sure to set up notifications from our Facebook page to catch our live feedings.

We start each day with our morning rounds. We call in all the “kids” and check to see that everyone got along through the night, make sure there were no fights, no escapes, and no break-ins (our security team is pretty robust, so that’s not usually something we have to worry about).

Once we’ve accounted for all of our reptile friends, it’s time for daily maintenance. We drain all the ponds, refill them and everyone gets a bath… Everyday.

Then it’s into the walk-in freezer to check out the food stock. A typical inventory includes about a dozen feral pigs that have been turned over by one of our wildlife specialist friends who’s helping control the undomesticated population. The next step is food prep… We’ll leave out the specifics.

When meal prep is done, we grab the leaf blower, clear off paths, pick up trash and check off any others tasks to make sure everything’s ready to open up!

10:00 a.m. – Doors open!

11:00 – First feeding of the day. These guys are HUNGRY. We try to make it a show that’s worth your while.

After lunch, it’s time to meet and greet, talk to customers, and welcome tourists and locals alike. We try to answer all questions and make sure everyone is up to speed on what to expect during their visit to the farm. Surprises and alligators aren’t a relaxing combination.

1:00 – Second feeding, or as we call it: “crunch time.”

Usually things slow down a bit after the second feeding. If you’re not into crowds, this is the time to make your appearance.

Depending on how busy the first two feedings were, more food might need to be prepped. We usually go through about 200 pounds of pig per day… Told you these guys were hungry.

4:00 – Last feeding of the day. Come and get it!

After that, it’s time to start winding down. We make sure everyone has cleared the walking trails, put the baby alligators back in there home with a little fresh water, and start on food prep for the next day. It’s a good time to check off some regular maintenance to-dos and take care of any repairs needed.

And that’s a day in the life of an alligator farmer. Now, we didn’t mention the field trips and birthday parties, which are always a good time. Some days we’ll make a trip to check on our alligator friends in the area. You may have seen some of them at places like Ralph and Kacoo’s in Mobile. Other days we’re helping with an alligator on the loose. No matter what we have on our agenda, we hope you’ll pick a day to come visit us soon!