contents MEET THE FAMILY American Alligators of Big Cypress Swamp LIFE BEGINS Featured Family Welcome to the World First Meal EARLY ADVENTURES Featured Family Look Who’s Diving Give It a Try 4 7 8 10 13 14 16 LIFE LESSONS Featured Family This Is How It’s Done Practice Makes Perfect ALLIGATOR SPOTTING Family Album Snapshots Words to Know Learn More Index 19 20 22 25 28 30 31 32
MEET THE FAMILY AMERICAN ALLIGATORS of Big Cypress Swamp Near Florida’s southwestern coast lies a sprawling wetland about the size of Rhode Island In Big Cypress National Preserve bald cypress cypress trees tower more than 100 feet 30 5 m tall In their dappled shade orchids and epiphytes epiphytes grow Ferns blanket the ground alligators alligators water snakes and river otters share the early September floodwater long legged herons wade watching for fish The coming coming dry season will invite panthers bobcats and black bears deeper into the swamp On a bank safely above the waterline sits a mound of soil leaves and sticks It is about five feet 1 5 m in diameter and three feet 0 9 m high A female American alligator has been guarding the mound and the 37 eggs buried beneath For the past 65 days the rotting vegetation has created heat to incubate incubate the eggs Now a low chirp emanates from the mound Then another The eggs are hatching
