Myths and facts about the alligator and its relatives.

When Bridget the alligator arrives in the mail, she's only the size of a key chain! But after Zack soaks her in water, she grows into a real live alligator. Bridget wrestles the garden hose and swings from the monkey bars. And what other alligator can do cartwheels? Children's Books of 1989 (Library of Congress)

Wanda Gag Honor Book 2010 2011 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award nominee A delightfull retelling of the three little pigs story. Three little gators strike out on their own in an east Texas swamp. Their mother warns them to build strong houses that can protect them from Big-bottomed Boar, who likes to eat tasty, tender gators for his snack. Soon, First Gator builds himself a nice house out of rocks. Second Gator reckons rocks are too much work, so he builds his house with sticks. And Third Gator's house of sand is the easiest one to build! But soon Big-bottomed Boar shows up. With a bump, bump, bump of the fierce boar's rump, he knocks over Third Gator's house of sand. It doesn't take long for that rump to bump Second Gator's house of sticks. But he can't knock over Third Gator's house of stones, so he tries another way in - through the chimney! Guess what happens to the Boar's rump after that?!

The ultimate guide to understanding the biology and behavior of the amazing and underappreciated American alligator. Few scenes put the senses on edge more than a submerged alligator, only eyes and snout showing, when peering across a southern lake on a misty morning. An iconic American predator, these reptiles grow to thirteen feet or more and can live as long as humans. Alligators are complex creatures, capable of terrific attacks and yet tending to their young in the same gentle way a mother duck looks after her brood. Once extremely numerous, alligators came close to extinction in the twentieth century, but thanks to conservation efforts have since made a comeback, reclaiming their rightful place as the monarchs of the southern wetlands. In this fascinating account, richly illustrated with more than 150 photographs from award-winning wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch, expert zoologist Kent A. Vliet introduces readers to the biology, ecology, and natural history of the American alligator. Sharing nuanced depictions of their hidden lives that will forever change the way you think of these giant reptiles, the book • combines captivating storytelling with the most current scientific facts • chronicles the life cycle of the alligator • explains why the alligator's precise anatomy and physiology make it so successful • covers a wide range of topics, from courtship and reproduction to communication, basking, nest-building, and hunting • reveals the alligator's sophisticated social life in detail • evaluates the alligator's environmental role as a keystone species • examines the complicated relationship between alligators and people

A daily motivator for people who write--and for all those who long to write--providing an insistent wake-up call for the creative urge, with insights on how to work against resistance, live with the loneliness, develop discipline, and dare to take deeper risks in their work.

‘An alligator jamboree, with all the letters ' A through Z.'

People have long been fascinated by the American alligator. Ever since humans arrived on the continent more than 15,000 years ago, the American alligator has been both feared and revered, celebrated and scorned, and often hunted for food and hide. Once tourism began to take hold in the South as a real industry, especially in Florida, the alligator took on iconic and even mythical status. “One of the most picturesque features of Florida has always been that uncouth and fierce-looking reptile called the alligator,” wrote Nevin O. Winter in 1918. “Everybody who comes down here to the peninsula has an ambition to see one in the wild.” Seminole Indians wrestled alligators for show. Alligator souvenirs and mascots often took what people feared—a sharp-toothed predator—and made it into something cute and cuddly. Alligator-themed songs were recorded and released, including “See You Later Alligator” by Bill Haley and His Comets. Hollywood into created alligator-themed movies such as Alligator People. Alligators were also reportedly kept in the White House under two presidencies. And perhaps the most unusual alligator story was one that helped to nab Ma Barker and her son Fred when they were hiding out along Florida’s Lake Weir. America’s Alligator examines the colorful and sometimes conflicted relationship our species has had with Alligator mississippiensis. Doug Alderson explores the country’s rich alligator mythology and how it inspired various forms of art, stories, photography, tourism and even humor.

Crocodilians are the largest and mose awe-inspiring reptiles available in the modern reptile trade.

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