Alligators

By: CC Lockwood

The American alligator,Alligator mississippiensis, is a fascinating creature. I often say that the gator is better designed than a stealth bomber as it’s totally suited for and adapted to its wetland habitat. The gator can swim with ease and speed and remain submerged for long periods. It can put its nose and eyes up like a periscope of a submarine, and be totally camouflaged. The alligator can crawl through boot sucking mud and sharp saw grasses. It can eat almost anything and survive without food for one year. Mosquitoes don’t bother it. No wonder this reptile has survived in one form or another for the last two hundred million years, since the time of the dinosaurs. I saw the need to produce a book about this wetland carnivore.
I have been professionally photographing wildlife and their habitats since 1971, much of the time in swamps and marsh, which has resulted innumerous bookson the subject. During this time I have photographed many alligators, but i...