Don'cha just love all Mother Nature's wondrous critters?
Posted on 09/08/2004 10:36:01 AM PDT by Kennesaw
Giant alligator slain on resort island
Associated Press
BALD HEAD ISLAND, N.C. - An 11-foot alligator, believed to be around 80 years old, was killed by a high-powered bullet through the head within days of the reptile killing a swimming dog, police on this resort island said.
Officials believe the dog was killed late Saturday after taking a dip in a lagoon next to a golf course's 17th fairway, village manager Jon Middleton said. The alligator was found dead early Monday.
It's illegal on the island both to have dogs running free and to discharge a firearm, Middleton said. The island's police were investigating the incident, he said.
Alligators are still listed as a threatened species in North Carolina.
"On the mainland, you don't let your dogs run down a street, and over here you don't let them run through the golf course because that's where the freshwater lagoons are and that's where the alligators are," said Martha Hayworth, a longtime resident and environmentalist. "It's your responsibility to keep yourself and your pets out of their habitat."
At 11 feet, 2 inches long, the alligator was near the top end of the range for animals in Coastal North Carolina. The state's largest recorded alligator was a 12-foot, 6-inch specimen killed in Carteret County in 1981, according to the state Museum of Natural Sciences.
Maybe the Secret Service took the 'gator down when he got too close to John Edwards' house.
Horseshirt!
This is our environment, and we don't need to cede it back to the reptiles!
In Florida, a big gator is 12-plus. These boys just caught a healthy lizard.
Agreed. The "habitat" in question is now the realm of MAN, instead of a man-eater.
Nice, discreet bullet placement. No fanfare needed.
Amos Moses alert............
My question - is fried or grilled better?
Typical city-slicker headline. A "giant" alligator? How about a BIG or a Large alligator!? 11 footers are not giant.
Well, two out of three ain't bad.
11 foot! ....that's just a Louisiana pet!
Red
I don't like that meat much; it's pretty gamey.
Too far away. Gators don't "do" saltwater!
Hope they didn't let a good briefcase and a couple pair of excellent boots go to waste!
Don'cha just love all Mother Nature's wondrous critters?
Nope - that's bait.
Adults males typically reach 4 to 4.5 metres (approximately 13 to 14.7 feet), although there are several unconfirmed reports of larger 5 m (approx 16.4 feet) and even 6 m adults (19.8 feet is the largest "reported", though there are doubts over its veracity) having been found or killed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Such sizes seem unlikely for this species. Females reach lengths of just under 3 m (approx 9.8 feet). The snout is characteristically broad, although this varies slightly between populations. Captive animals have been shown to grow significantly broader jaws compared with wild alligators, mainly due to differences in diet. When the mouth is closed, the edge of the upper jaw overlaps teeth in the lower jaw, which therefore fit into depressions in the upper jaw. This is unlike Crocodylus and Gavialis in which the lower teeth fit into depressions on the outside of the upper jaw. A bony nasal bridge is present, similar to that seen in the spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) but not as pronounced. Juveniles are essentially miniature versions of their parents, although they possess bright yellow cross-bands on a black background - disruptive camouflage. More western populations (which may have been historically isolated from eastern populations) are reported to have white speckling around the jaws, with paler colouration on their bodies and tails. In all individuals, older alligators gradually lose the yellow banding and turn olive brown and black, although areas around the jaws and on the neck and belly are creamy white. The ventral surface is pale, but most scales especially nearer the tail possess significant amounts of black. Ventral osteoderms (bony plates) are present in the belly scales of all American alligators, although the extent varies between populations and the skin is considered quite valuable. The colour of the eyes is similar to many other crocodilians, being generally olive green but variable. Wild adult populations have been observed to fall into two general forms: those which are long and thin, and those which are short and stocky. Variation in growth rate, diet, climate and other factors are likely responsible for these differences.
Pretty reckless of that guy shooting an endangered critter with a rifle in a resort area. He could've paid a REALLY big fine. I prefer a Barnett crossbow for stealth shots.
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