The alligator and its allies

by A. M. Reese

In 1908, there were marketed from the South Atlantic and Gulf States 372,000 pounds of alligator hides, valued at $61,000.

According to the United States Bureau of Fisheries the hunter in 1891 averaged about 60 cents for the skin, while in 1902 the price averaged about 90 cents, varying between 15 cents and $2.00, depending on the size and condition of the skin. “Prime hides five feet long, with no cuts, scale slips, or other defects, are worth about 95 cents each, in trade, when the hunter sells them at the country stores, and about $1.10 cash, at the tanneries. Those measuring seven feet are worth $1.55, six feet, $1.12; four feet, 52 cents, and three feet, 25 cents. Little demand exists for those under three feet in length” (Report Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1902, p. 345). Hides of seven feet are in most demand, those over ten feet are not much used. The income of the hunters is largely increased by the sale of otter, bear, deer, and other skins.

The different varieties of skins are described by Stevenson ([74]) as follows:

“There are several distinct varieties of alligator skins on the markets, the most important being the Floridian, Louisianian, and Mexican; each differs from the others in certain well-defined characteristics, and owing to these differences each variety has its special uses.

“The Florida skins are longer in the body—that is, from the fore legs to the hind legs—than those from Louisiana and Mexico, and consequently they are largely in demand by manufacturers of large handbags. They also have a number of so-called ‘buttons’ or ‘corn marks’ on the inside or under surface of an equal number of the scutes resulting from imbedded horn-like tissues in the center of those scales. These increase the difficulty in tanning the skins and detract somewhat from the appearance of the finished article, and for this reason the Florida skins are ordinarily the cheapest on the market. The farther south the skins are secured in Florida the greater the number of ‘corn marks,’ and those from the vicinity of Key West are almost valueless for this reason.

“The Louisiana skins differ from those of Florida in the absence of the ‘corn marks’ above noted, and from both the Florida and Mexican skins in being more pliable and in having the scales more artistically curved and shaped. Consequently they are preferred for such small articles as card-cases and pocketbooks, and usually sell at the highest prices. Skins obtained in Mississippi and Texas are similar to those secured in Louisiana, while those from Georgia and South Carolina are similar to those from Florida, except that the ‘corn markings’ are not so numerous. All the Florida and Louisiana skins show greater uniformity of coloring, being of a bluish black on the upper surface and a peculiar bluish white on the under side.

“In addition to an absence of the characteristics above noted the Mexican and Central American skins are distinguished by having from one to four small dots or markings like pin holes near the caudal end of each scale. The length of the Mexican skins varies greatly in proportion to the width, sometimes equaling that of the Florida skins. Those from the east coast of Mexico are the best, being lighter in color and with neat and attractively shaped scales. The west coast skins are yellowish in color when in the green state, and the scales are larger and not so artistically formed. The Florida and Louisiana skins are almost invariably split down the back, or rather along each side of the back, so as to preserve the under side in a solid piece, but most of the Mexican skins are split down the middle of the abdomen, keeping the back intact, making what is commonly known as ‘horn alligator.’ (See [Fig. 15].)

“The skin should be removed soon after death as, in warm climates, putrefaction sets in very early and the value of the skin is depreciated. After removal, the flesh side of the skin is thoroughly rubbed with fine salt, and the skin is carefully rolled up with the salted side inside and is ready for shipment, but must be kept in a dry, cool place. Great care must be taken not to cut the hide since small cuts that are not noticeable in the raw skin may be so conspicuous in the dressed skin as to render it of much less value; a large percentage of the hides received in the markets are thus damaged.

“Formerly only the ‘belly skin’ was removed, by two longitudinal incisions just below the horny portion of the back; but it was later found that the thick horny skin of the back could be tanned nearly as well as the thinner belly skin, so that the entire skin is now usually removed by a longitudinal incision along the mid-ventral line, with lateral incisions along each leg to the foot ([Fig. 15]). The entire skin is more commonly taken in Mexico and Central America than in our States.

“Although the raw skins are sold according to length, the tanned hides are sold by the width of the leather at the widest part. Standard hides sell for $1.00 to $1.65 per twelve inches of width. Some skins tanned and dyed in a superior manner sell for $2.00 or more for single skins of 2¹⁄₂ feet in length. As a rule the Louisiana skins fetch the highest prices, and those from Florida the lowest. Imitation alligator leather is now prepared in large quantities, principally from sheepskins or the buffing from cowhides. These are tanned according to the usual process, and before the skins are finished they are embossed with the characteristic alligator markings by passing them between two rollers.” (Above-mentioned report, p. 346.)