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Baby Alligator


Baby Alligator
Photo Information
Copyright: Heinz Koloska (wallhalla15) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1767 W: 58 N: 3350] (13829)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-10
Categories: Reptiles
Camera: Fujifilm Finepix S7000
Exposure: f/3.0, 1/56 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Baby Animals 6, Reptiles - Crocs, alligators, caimans, & garials 1 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-10-14 4:46
Viewed: 4297
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Alligator

An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two living alligator species: the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis). They are closely related to crocodiles. The name alligator is an anglicized form of the Spanish el lagarto ("the lizard"), the name by which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator.

Description
Alligators are characterized by a broader snout and eyes more dorsally located than their crocodile cousins. Both living species also tend to be darker in color, often nearly black (although the Chinese alligator has some light patterning.) Also, in alligators only the upper teeth can be seen with the jaws closed (in contrast to true crocodiles, in which upper and lower teeth can be seen), though many individuals bear jaw deformities which complicate this means of identification.

The eyes of an alligator glow red when a light is shined on them. This fact can be used to find alligators in the dark.

According to the Everglades National Park website, the largest alligator ever recorded in Florida was 17 feet 5 inches long (5.3 meters). The largest alligator ever recorded measured 19 feet 2 inches (5.8 meters) and was found on Marsh Island, Louisiana.


Habitat
There are only two countries on earth that have alligators: the United States and China. The Chinese alligator is endangered and lives only in the Yangtze River valley. The American Alligator is found in the United States from the Carolinas to Florida and along the Gulf Coast. The majority of American Alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana. In Florida alone there are an estimated more than 1 million alligators. The United States is the only nation on earth to have both alligators and crocodiles. American Alligators live in freshwater environments, such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, and swamps. In China, they live only along the fresh water of the Yangtze River.

Behavior
Alligators are solitary, territorial animals. The largest of the species (both males and females), will defend prime territory; smaller alligators have a higher tolerance of other alligators within a similar size class.

Although alligators have heavy bodies and slow metabolisms, they are capable of short bursts of speed that can exceed 30 miles per hour. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals that they can kill and eat with a single bite. Alligators may kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it in the water to drown. Alligators consume food that cannot be eaten in one bite by allowing it to rot or by biting and then spinning or convulsing wildly until bite size pieces are torn off. This is referred to as the "death roll."
ramthakur, MountainRunner, greenpinkorange, Luis52, fartash, RAP, Hil has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To thor68: Danke Thorstenwallhalla15 1 10-16 14:44
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • DOBIS Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 126 W: 16 N: 170] (632)
  • [2006-10-14 5:03]

Hello Heinz,
an interesting portrait of this cute littlealligator. Very nice colours, pov.
Regards,
Dobis

Hi Heinz!
I notice your camera was working perfectly well when you shot this wonderful close-up of the alligator.
An outstanding capture with great POV, DOF, colours and sharp details.
I am particularly fascinated by its eye.
TFS and take care.
Ram

It's just amazing....I love the composition of this image, so exclusively done only showing the head which already tells everything about the maturity of this creature.
Sharpness and details also good use of available light (I guess) are excellent!

Hallo Heinz,
Tolle Schärfe am oberen Teil des Kopfes. Das vergelichsweise große Auge des kleinen Alligators sieht beeindruckend aus, mit der dünnen schwarzen Pupille.
Grüße, Fabian

HELLO HANS
tres beau travail, couleurs, netteté, bg détails tout est parfait
merci du partage et amitiès bon week-end
edith

Hi
Beautiful portrait. Fantastic eyes of baby aligator
Thanks
Krzysztof

Hello Heinz,
Woah intense eye contact! Interesting POV and good DOP. Would it have helped if you used a bigger fstop to allow more focus on th alligator? It looks like there was sufficient lighting to allow a bigger fstop. maybe f5.6-8? Anyway, it's a great picture. :) Lovely.
See ya later, alligator!
Steph

Hi Heinz,
ich hätte nie gedacht, daß ich mal so eine Echse als "süß" bezeichnen würde, er der ist wirklich putzig! Hat 'ne kleine Stupsnase und ein goldenes Auge, Du bist schön nahe dran gewesen. Gefällt mir sehr, Danke und Gruß
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • fryz Silver Star Critiquer [C: 19 W: 2 N: 3] (120)
  • [2006-10-14 8:56]

!!!! superbe netteté et cadrage !!!!
bravo heinz
a+
fryz

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1109 W: 5 N: 3453] (12751)
  • [2006-10-14 12:08]

Hola Heinz.- Un macro exelente, mucho detalle con luz y nitidaz.
Tu nota es muy buena.
Saludos Luis52.

Hello Heinz
What a nice shot of baby aligatore :-)
perfect composition and colors,
Excellent

Regards
Fartash

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2006-10-14 16:54]

I like my friend the very marked two plane of light on the reptile... with excellent POV and framing.

I like it a lot: composition, POV, DOF, sharpness, focus, color, framing, lighting, background, notes.

I don't like it: nothing.

A very nice post... thank you for sharing.
My best greetings... Ricardo

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 705 W: 13 N: 1405] (5027)
  • [2006-10-14 17:41]

Hi Heinze

Superb capture, the composition is wonderful with a great POV and pose, the detail is nice and sharp, especially the Eye with the light catching it, I can't say I have ever noticed how big the Eyes are when they are Babies, the colours are lovely and like the green reflected on the underside of the gator.

TFS Hilary :o)

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3318 W: 149 N: 6113] (18646)
  • [2006-10-14 21:42]

Cute little baby here Heinz, and it looks like it would never hurt you at all!! Excellent capture, well done on the composition and sharpness too. TFS
Janice

was für ein süßes portrait des kleinen alligators, heinz! :-)
perfekt und schön bildfüllend erwischt, mit gutem augenkontakt
und einem "freundlichen" lächeln.
was macht die kameralosigkeit?
viele grüße & bis bald mal wieder, thorsten.

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