Florida Alligator on Pine Island

I think it was David and his Dead who made this impressive Florida Alligator out of sand on the Pine Island's beach this Saturday. I'd give it 5***** (out of 5) for all the detailed work but I don't think they built it for any kind of reward. They were just having fun playing in the sand.

The authors of this creation have not been there any more when I took these shots but rest assured that this sculpture had a lot of admirers all afternoon long!

 

The birds added some very sophisticated imprints as well... :)



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Seagulls on Pine Island

I've never seen that many seagulls on pine Island before. Of course I don't go there all that often but they sure were quite impressive. I took several photos and even a video. I'll post it here soon.

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Florida Alligators

Alligator facts:

• the alligator has survived on earth for 200 million years



• average American alligator's weight and length is 800 lbs (360 kg) and 13 feet (4 m) long though the record in Florida is 1043 lbs and 13 ft 10 and a half inches long



• the largest alligator on record measured 19 feet 2 inches (5.8 m) and was caught on Marsh Island, Louisiana



• these larger alligators were never weighed though they could have exceeded a ton in weight



• alligators like to eat food that they can swallow in one bite



• they will drown prey that they can not kill by biting



• the muscles that close alligator's jaw are exceptionally powerful but the ones that open it aren't nearly as strong so - some duct tape will keep its dangerous mouth closed



• Alligators have a fear of humans but can lose this fear if they are fed by human hand

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Florida Flamingos

Flamingo facts:

• Flamingos gain their unique color from the food they eat



• generally, the brighter a flamingo is the healthier it is



• no one is quite sure why flamingos stand on one leg though many theories have been put forth about this oddity



• the main diet of flamingos consists of:



• blue-green and red algae



• diatoms



• larval and adult forms of small insects



• crustaceans



• small fishes



• Flamingos can swim easily but they do not dive



• they are capable of drinking water at temperatures that approach the boiling point because the only fresh water they receive is in boiling geysers



• Flamingos are thought to have well-developed color perception



• they can fly at speeds up to 31-37 miles per hour

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Florida Manatees

Some interesting facts about the gentle giants:

• they only have molars to grind their food



• they chew two times per second



• manatee teeth are constantly being replaced as they wear down and fall out (like shark's)



• the intestine of an adult manatee can measure up to 130 feet in length



• from 1974 to 2002 as many as 1164 Manatees have been killed because of boating accidents



• they only breath through their nostrils



• manatees can hold their breath for up to 24 minutes



• manatee lungs are 2/3 the length of its body



• a manatee cannot turn its head sideways, it must turn its whole body



• it takes 13 months for a manatee to be born



• manatee calves spend two years with their mothers learning the migration routes



• manatees have no natural predators



• they can die if the water they live in gets too cold



• manatees live in fresh water

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