Alligators

Having lived much of the last fourteen years in Florida I've learned to harbor a healthy respect for alligators. There are the obvious reasons - the danger of being bitten or worse, but then there are the ecological and biological reasons. First, alligators are a keystone species - this means that they are the top predator on the food chain. So, what's the big deal with that? In Florida many species depend on alligators because in the dry season, when there's not enough rain to keep ponds filled, alligators swish their tails around in the mud ensuring what little water there is remains, thereby providing much needed water to all the other species.

One of the coolest things I learned about alligators is that the gender of the offspring is determined by temperature. If the eggs are in a warm environment, perhaps in sunlight, the babies will likely be male - if the eggs are kept cool, then they are more likely to be female. Don't ever get fooled into thinking alligators are slow moving. For short distances they can run up to 20 mph. The most important thing for kids (and adults) to learn is never feed alligators, or any wild life for that matter.
                                                           Learn more about Keystone Species
I never included the Alligator song on any of my CDs. If you would like a copy of the song, send me a message and I will send you an MP3 for FREE.