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alligators and their size
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RonW
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Joined: 16 Jan 2006
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Location: netherlands

PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:08 am    Post subject: alligators and their size Reply with quote

Here's a mail I got (one of those things that circulate on the net). While it is difficult to estimate the actual size you can see that gators can grow to quite a large size. Something to consider if you want one Very Happy


A couple of years ago, a head-hunter called me saying that he had some
great
jobs in Alabama. A small Pharma company was staffing up and looking for
lots of QA & Regulatory people. The head-hunter couldn't find anyone
willing to re-locate to Huntington, Alabama. The fact that it was in the
sweltering hot South was all I needed to know not to re-located there.
Here's another good reason - who the hell would want to swim or wade-in
knee
deep water in their lakes !!!!

Years ago when I lived in South Carolina and knew there were plenty of
alligators there - years later I saw lots of them. I was visting a museum
in Charleston that had memorabilia and artifacts that captured the essence
of early colonial life in the Carolinas. I saw illustrations from the time
of early settlers in the low country confronting and attempting to drive
off
monster-sized alligators. A number of the illustrations showed the
alligators with cows and/or humans in their mouths. Everything in the
museum chronicled the life of early settlers and these illustrations came
from a family that handed them down from generation to generation until
they
were donated to the museum of early colonial life. Alligators, if not
hunted, live a very long time and can grow very large. These pics are
proof
of that.

Not me, I won't swim in this lake.


This picture was taken by a KTBS helicopter
flying over Lake Wiess about 90 miles north of Birmingham !



That has to be a HUGE gator to have a whole deer in its mouth!
Are you ready to go skiing on Lake Wiess ?!
If you ski at the west end of the lake -- try not to fall.



This alligator was found between Centre and Leesburg , Alabama near a
house! Game wardens were
forced to shoot the alligator-
guess he wouldn't cooperate...

Anita and Charlie Rogers could hear the bellowing in the night. Their
neighbors had been telling them that they had seen a mammoth alligator in
the waterway that runs behind their house, but they dismissed the stories
as
exaggerations.

"I didn't believe it," Charles Rogers said, but they realized the stories
were, if anything, understated.

Alabama Parks and Wildlife game wardens had to shoot the beast. Joe Goff,
6'5" tall, a game warden, walks past the 23-foot, 1-inch alligator he shot
and killed in their back yard.
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kroakykaren
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow thats one huge beast, shame it had to be shot though
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Scott W
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

interesting post Ron, thanks.

Something doesn't look quite right with the last photo though...what do you think?
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kroakykaren
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its head looks odd to me very out of proportion
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JStroud
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Head looks far too large...something very odd about the last photo. Such a shame, will definately have a huge impact on that water course as I'm sure it was a huge contributor to gator holes in the area. So the gator hadn't even approached humans yet...and was just seen (quite rightly) hunting extremely well judging by the prey size. I guess relocation would have been too much effort Rolling Eyes Mad
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H.S.
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Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Posts: 481
Location: Kent

PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not wanting to discredit any pictures or anything, but I have come across these photograph's before and know that although the photograph's with the deer are real, the text accompanying them is not. Here is what is written regarding the text...
Quote:
The preceding photos, which show a 12 to 14-foot-long alligator swimming off with a full-grown deer between its teeth, are authentic, according to a press release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They were taken by district fire management officer Terri Jenkins on March 4, 2004.

The accompanying text is false, however. The photos weren't taken at Cross Lake, Louisiana. Jenkins says she was about 40 miles south of Savannah, Georgia, on her way to start a prescribed fire at Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, when she spotted the gator making off with its lunch from her helicopter (which does not belong to KTBS-TV in Shreveport, by the way).

A June 2004 variant of the email, equally false, states that the photographs were taken by an officer of the Texas Forest Service on assignment at a game refuge in South Carolina


The other photo (as far as I know) hasn't been proven real or fake, although there is much debate about it on 'Urbanlegend' related sites like Snopes. Again, what is said to be false is the text. A spokesman for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said this about the picture...
Quote:
It's fake. It didn't happen. We don't just go out and kill alligators just because they are there. I don't know why anyone would perpetuate something like that," he said. "There is a lot that comes across the Internet that is fabricated," said Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Lt. Don Albright...
According to the photograph's accompanying text, Evening Shade, Ark., residents Charles and Anita Rogers, who may or may not exist, said they could hear "bellowing" during the evening hours. According to the story, their neighbors attributed the alleged noise to a giant alligator they saw in the pond that runs behind their home.
"I didn't believe it," Charles Rogers said in the story.
Albright said the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has detained large alligators in the past like the one seen in the picture. However, he said the organization has a policy to protect the alligators rather than shooting them, hanging their remains from a suspended crane and taking pictures of their trophy.


So, it seems that nobody is denying that these huge examples exist, and that they have been photographed, but the claims of location and other information is incorrect.
Personally, I believe Alligators can get to these sizes, as for the authenticity of the photo's and there text. I remain open minded, and leave it for others to debate.
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RonW
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 6:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

to be honest I found the last picture a bit suspect. But the first two at least show you there are huge alligators out there. Which is good, shows there is enough food for them and they can still live in peace in some parts of the US.
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Mememe
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 6:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

IMO, that last pic is photoshopped 100%. Confused
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reeve105a
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Joined: 08 Nov 2006
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Location: Thanet,Kent

PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The first 2 pictures are real but the last one's a fake. I've seen the first 2 pictures before but not with the last one.
If you look at the shadows the sun should be on the gators back. but the sun is on its belly and the shade is on its back, Its head and legs are limp but its tail isn't, The rope around its neck doesn't look like it's secured to the digger very well. And if the game warden in the picture is 6.5ft tall the truck he's walking towards must be Bigfoot. Smile
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davo
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

they might not shoot them for just "existing" in a certain place, but as soon as one eats or attacks someone, watch out if your a gator, 'cause its shoot on sight till they find the one.
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