| February 26, 2006
Hi all. I'm opening a new show this Friday at Creature Gallery. It's called Back from the Brink: Endangered Species Around the World. This show is really important to me because it deals with an urgent and disturbing issue.  There is a bill sneaking its way through congress that will essentially dismantle the Endangered Species Act, the most important single piece of legislation in the United States for the protection of imperiled wildlife. How can this possibly be happening right under our noses? The good news is, it's not too late to stop it. The Defenders of Wildlife asked me to do an event in Charlottesville to raise awareness and get some letters written to our Virginia senator John Warner, one of the few people who will be deciding if this bill makes it to the Senate floor. At my February opening, 75 gallery visitors wrote to voice their concerns! This Friday I'm hoping we will get even more. Please come out to Creature Gallery this Friday night. Have some fun, eat and drink, check out photos of some incredible endangered animals, and make a difference by helping to insure the survival of our local wild cousins. To learn more about what's happening to the Endangered Species Act visit www.saveESA.org. Look at the right side of this page for more info about the opening. See you there!
This week's featured creature is:
the American Alligator
(Alligator mississippiensis)
To me, alligators are the perfect poster child for the success of the Endangered Species Act. When it was first listed as endangered in 1967 it was in critical danger of actually becoming extinct! How did this happen? Only one thing on earth is more powerful than a full grown gator: a woman's handbag. That's right. Purses and shoes. Luggage and belts. The Fashion Industry brought these prehistoric creatures to the edge of oblivion. When they were finally given federal protection, they came back from the brink. In a short 20 years, the population had rebounded so substantially that they were de-listed from the Endangered Species list in 1987!
It was like a miracle! This animal had existed virtually unchanged for over 60 million years. It survived the massive extinctions which killed off all the dinosaurs. And yet, in a few decades, a simple fashion accessory almost wiped them out.
Now they're back. And personally, I'm really thankful for that. What would America be without the alligator? To me they are one of the most amazing and exotic and scary and beautiful creatures we have in our country. I love gators and hopefully you will too.
Did you know:
- The American Alligator is one of the few reptiles with maternal instincts. Many reptiles simply lay eggs
 and never return to the nest. However, a female alligator will protect her huge nest of mounded earth until she hears the newborn hatchlings inside peeping to be let out. (20-60 eggs.) She then digs them out, and carries them to the water in her mouth! The young stay with their mother for up to two years!
- The temperature inside the nest determines the sex of the baby alligators inside! (more females when colder, more males when warmer)
- Like beavers and humans, alligators alter their habitat! They dig large holes that fill with water. These "gator holes" provide a critical water supply and habitat for other wildlife and plants in the area.
 Gators are the largest reptile in North America. There have been reports of individuals over 19 feet long! Adults males usually average about 10-13 feet and weigh between 400 and 500 pounds.
- Male alligators will roar during mating season. When partially submerged, the deep vibrations of this roar create an amazing mating display: making the water dance over the scales on its back. (River dance, eat your heart out.)
- Alligators generally prefer fresh water while the American Crocodile prefers brackish and salt water.
- Where does the name Alligator come from? Spanish explorers were the first to describe the species to Europeans and called it "the lizard" which in Spanish is "El Lagarto" (say it out loud and you will see)
- The alligator is still listed as "threatened" because of its similar appearance to another endangered species in the U.S., the American Crocodile.
- Alligators belong to a group of reptiles called crocodilians. There are 23 species of crocodilians worldwide that include all crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials.
Quiz: OK smarty pants. Test your knowledge.
Can you tell the difference between an American Alligator and an American Crocodile? Which one is the Alligator?
Answer: The easy way to identify a crocodile is that you can see some bottom teeth protruding upward when the mouth is closed. On alligators you can only see the top teeth. The other most obvious difference is the shape of their snouts. Crocodiles have a long, thin, pointy snout and alligators have a more blunt, wider, rounded snout. Now can you tell which is which? Congratulations, the alligator is on the right.
Thanks so much for reading and have a great week ladies and gents.
-Hal
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