Death of a Gator

The remnants of this alligator not only looked cool, but reminded me that in nature, everything is vunerable.

      Nature always finds new ways to impress me.  Sometimes, it’s a majestic landscape that I see from 14,000’.  Sometimes it is a rare and beautiful species that has adapted to survive in a unique environment.  Other times, nature just reminds me about the way life is.  Such is the case with this alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) skull I found at Hickory Mound Wildlife Management Area, while on a multi-day paddling trip along the big bend of Florida.

      At one time, the gator was a force to be reckoned with in the swamp.  It prowled the dark waters and waited for the perfect moment to ambush its prey, but nature reminds us that nothing is invincible.  Who knows what brought the end to this gators life.  In the end, all that matters is that it wasn’t fit enough to survive.  The once proud gator now rests at the bottom of a mucky tidal creek where crabs, whelks and insects now feast on it rotting flesh.