Alligator Hole in the Glades
Out in the sunny glades the broad leaves of the alligator flag mark the location of an alligator hole. This is the most incredible ecosystem of all the worlds within the world of the park; for in a sense the alligator is the keeper of the [everglades].
With feet and snout these reptiles clear out the vegetation and muck from the larger holes in the [limestone]. In the dry season, when the floor of the glades checks in the sun, these holes are oases. Then large numbers of fish, turtles, snails, and other fresh-water animals take refuge in the holes, moving right in with the alligators. Enough of these water-dependent creatures thus survive the drought to repopulate the glades when the rains return. Birds and mammals join the migration of the [everglades] animal kingdom to the alligator holes, feed upon the concentrated life in them—and in turn occasionally become food for their alligator hosts.
ALLIGATOR FLAG
Lily pads float on the surface. Around the edges arrowleaf, cattails, and other emergent plants grow. Behind them on higher muckland, much of which is created by the alligators as they pile up plant debris, stand ferns, wildflowers, and [swamp] trees. [Algae] thrive in the water. The rooted water plants might become so dense as to hinder the movement and growth of the fish, were it not for the weeding activities of the alligators. With the old reptiles keeping the pool open, the fish thrive, and alligator and guests live well.
Plants piled beside the hole by the alligator decay and form soil with mud and [marl]. Ferns, wildflowers, and tree seedlings take root, and eventually the alligator hole may be the center of a [tree island].
So, it’s easy to see how important the alligator is to the [ecology] of the park. Unfortunately for this reptile, many people in the past believed only in the value of its hide. Hunting for alligators became profitable in the mid-1880’s and continued until the 1960’s. In 1961 Florida prohibited all hunting of alligators, but poaching continued to take its toll. Finally, the Federal [Endangered] Species Act of 1969 protected the alligator by eliminating all hunting and trafficking in hides.
As a result of complete protection, the alligator has increased greatly in number. They are no longer an [endangered] species in Florida, and they can easily be found in gator holes and [sloughs]. Today alligators are eagerly sought by visitors to [Everglades] National Park who are anxious to see and photograph this unique creature. Once again, the alligator is the keeper of the everglades.
ACTUAL SIZE AT HATCHING (8″ to 10″)
FOOD FISH (gar, bass, etc.) BIRDS TURTLES (soft-shelled and others) MAMMALS RACCOON SNAPPING TURTLE GREEN HERON
40 TO 60 EGGS LAID IN NEST OF HUMUS IN MAY OR JUNE
MOTHER TENDS YOUNG 1 TO 2 YEARS
1 YEAR OLD: ABOUT 2′ LONG
ALLIGATOR HOLE IN THE GLADES
SNOWY EGRET WHITE IBIS WOOD STORK MOSQUITO (15 species) SNAIL EGGS PIG FROG ALLIGATOR NEST DRY SEASON WATER LEVEL GAMBUSIA KILLIFISH SUNFISH LARGEMOUTHED BASS FLORIDA SPOTTED GAR FLORIDA SOFT-SHELLED TURTLE 1 SPIKE RUSH 2 PINK GERARDIA 3 SPIDER LILY 4 CATTAIL 5 PICKEREL WEED 6 ARROWHEAD 7 WATER LILY 8 SPATTERDOCK 9 BLADDERWORT 10 ALLIGATOR FLAG 11 MORNINGGLORY
DISCOVERING [EVERGLADES] PLANTS AND ANIMALS
[Everglades] National Park, with its array of plant [communities]—ranging from the pines and palmettos rooted in the pitted [limestone] bedrock of the park’s dry uplands, through the periphyton-based [marsh] community and the brackish [mangrove] [swamp], to the highly saline waters of Florida Bay—is an amateur botanist’s paradise. Many of the park’s plants are found nowhere else in the United States. Only here at the southern tip of the Florida peninsula do tropical trees and orchids mingle with oaks and pines.
This book is not intended to be a manual for identification of the [Everglades] plants. You will need to arm yourself with appropriate field guides to ferns, orchids, aquatic plants, trees, or whatever your special interest may be. The reading list in the appendix suggests a few.
While the park is a mecca for students of plantlife, you must keep one thing in mind: your collecting will be limited to photographs (and, if you’re an artist, drawings). No specimens may be removed or disturbed. Fortunately, with today’s versatile cameras and high-quality color films you can take home a complete and accurate record of your plant discoveries.
Much of our present knowledge of [Everglades] plantlife has been garnered by amateurs. Much more needs to be accumulated before an environmental management program for the park can be perfected, and serious students of botany are invited to make their data available to the park staff.
As for wild animals, one hardly needs to look for them in this park! Most visitors come here, at least partly, for that reason. And even those not seeking wildlife should be alert to avoid stepping on or running down the slower or less wary creatures. But animal watching is a great pastime, and it pays to learn to do it right. A few suggestions may help you make the most of your experience in [Everglades].
BIRDS AND REPTILES
Big Cypress [Swamp] [Mangrove] Swamp Pine Rockland Coastal Prairie [Everglades] BIRDS AND REPTILES Heron Rookeries Brown Pelican Rookeries Spoonbill Rookeries Wood Stork Rookeries Sea Turtle Nesting Recent Crocodile Nesting
A notebook in which to record your observations will help you discover that this park is not just a landscape of grass, water, and trees where a lot of animals happen to live—but a complex, subtropical world of plant-and-animal [communities], each distinct and yet dependent upon the others. To gain real understanding of this world you will need certain skills and some good habits. Ability to identify what you see—with the help of good field guides (see [reading list]) and quite a bit of practice—will make things easier and much more enjoyable.
Knowing where to look for the animals helps; this book and the field guides are useful for this. You’ll find that some species are seen only in certain parts of the park, while others roam far and wide. Don’t look for the crocodile in the fresh-water glades—nor for the round-tailed muskrat in the [mangroves]. On the other hand, don’t be surprised to see the raccoon or its tracks in almost any part of the park.
Keep in mind that all species in the national parks are protected by law. Most wild animals are harmless as long as they are not molested. If you encounter an animal you aren’t sure about, simply keep out of its way; don’t try to harm it or drive it off. Always remember that each animal is part of the [Everglades] [community]; you cannot disturb it without affecting everything else.