Alligators Alligators Are Not Pets Are Not Pets Are Not Pets Are Not Pets MARK HARASYMIW
Contents Contents Contents Contents Contents Too Scary to Pet 4 Warm-Weather Creatures 6 Alligator Comeback 10 Alligator Laws 12 Nuisance Alligators 14 Alligator Diet 16 Alligator Attacks 20 Alligator Defense 24 Alligators Importance 26 Increasing Attacks 28 Glossary 30 For More Information 31 Index 32 Words in the glossary appear in bold type the first time they are used in the text
Too Scary To Pet Most animals that make good pets are smaller than people Those that aren’t smaller such as horses eat plants Adult alligators are bigger than people and like to eat only one thing MEAT Alligators are awesome animals to see at the zoo but they don’t make good pets A full-grown male growth SPURTS alligator may grow more than 13 feet 4 m long and weigh over 500 pounds 227 kg Females are about half as heavy and grow to be about 9 feet 2 7 m long Smaller doesn’t mean less dangerous though Mother alligators are fierce when protecting their babies Depending on environment and age alligators grow at different rates In warm conditions a young alligator grows quickly An alligator in hot Louisiana may grow as much as 12 inches 30 cm a year One of the largest alligators ever found in that state was 19 feet 2 inches 5 8 m long 4
