Cigar Hording

[cheaphumidors]

I'm no expert, but how gentle can momma alligators be? I feel like there are other mommas in the animal kingdom that might provide a better analogy.

Well, I am an "expert" (not really)on the topic (my life long dream was to be a herpetologist and therefor I spend a lot of time reading journal articles on alligators) and mamma alligators are exceptionally gentle with their babies. In fact, alligators spend the first 2 years of their lives under their mom's protection. When they hatch, she comes and digs them out of their nest and gently carries them to the water with a level of grace and dexterity that is shocking given their immense size and power.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...orPY0q0FQTZSfE

[TreySC]

Well, I am an "expert" (not really)on the topic (my life long dream was to be a herpetologist and therefor I spend a lot of time reading journal articles on alligators) and mamma alligators are exceptionally gentle with their babies. In fact, alligators spend the first 2 years of their lives under their mom's protection. When they hatch, she comes and digs them out of their nest and gently carries them to the water with a level of grace and dexterity that is shocking given their immense size and power.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...orPY0q0FQTZSfE

I did lake management for a while when I lived in Sarasota. Had plenty of run ins with gators but never saw in babies with their mammas. Which is probably a good thing based on how protective they are.

[cheaphumidors]

I did lake management for a while when I lived in Sarasota. Had plenty of run ins with gators but never saw in babies with their mammas. Which is probably a good thing based on how protective they are.

Wow! What a fun job!
I run into quite a few babies when I kayak, I even found a newly hatched nest, cutest thing ever!

[TreySC]

Wow! What a fun job!
I run into quite a few babies when I kayak, I even found a newly hatched nest, cutest thing ever!

It was fun for the most part. The gators usually got out of the way, but still a little scary when you don't see them right away.

[cheaphumidors]

It was fun for the most part. The gators usually got out of the way, but still a little scary when you don't see them right away.

"Usually" is the key word. A couple of months ago I was kayaking in the Hillsborough river and had to lay back in my kayak to get under a log. My head was back so I couldn't see where I was going, all of a sudden I feel myself bump into, what I assumed was another log, and then the front of my kayak dip down quite a bit. I looked up to find a +/- 8 foot gator scrambling over the top of my kayak, apparently I hit the poor thing as he was sunning himself. I felt so bad!

[TreySC]

"Usually" is the key word. A couple of months ago I was kayaking in the Hillsborough river and had to lay back in my kayak to get under a log. My head was back so I couldn't see where I was going, all of a sudden I feel myself bump into, what I assumed was another log, and then the front of my kayak dip down quite a bit. I looked up to find a +/- 8 foot gator scrambling over the top of my kayak, apparently I hit the poor thing as he was sunning himself. I felt so bad!

That's pants changer right there LOL. At least out in the rivers like that you shouldn't run into to many that have been fed and get aggressive.

[cheaphumidors]

That's pants changer right there LOL. At least out in the rivers like that you shouldn't run into to many that have been fed and get aggressive.

Oddly enough, fear was not one of the emotions I felt. For some reason I don't have a natural fear response to alligators (or really any of the "scary" animals). But try to get me to hold a crab, just try! I start screaming like a little girl.

[Rocket Scientologist]

Well, I am an "expert" (not really)on the topic (my life long dream was to be a herpetologist and therefor I spend a lot of time reading journal articles on alligators) and mamma alligators are exceptionally gentle with their babies. In fact, alligators spend the first 2 years of their lives under their mom's protection. When they hatch, she comes and digs them out of their nest and gently carries them to the water with a level of grace and dexterity that is shocking given their immense size and power.

I stand corrected. The more you know...*music chimes*