We have an alligator in our pond!

Last year, we never got an alligator; this year, we’ve got a cutie pie!

If you walk around the corner from my house, a distance of about 400 feet, you will come to a pond. It’s a lovely pond, surrounded by greenery and home throughout the year to turtles, egrets, herons, and other fascinating flora and fauna. And up until last year, it’s always had an alligator who hangs out in the hot weather (May through October). Just one little alligator because it’s a little pond.

Last year, however, our pond was alligator-free. Every time I walked by with the dog, I’d carefully scan the water looking for the distinctive head floating on the surface, but all I saw were turtles. Turtles are very nice if you ignore the salmonella factor, but they are not alligators.

Yesterday, though, there was that distinctive alligator head. It’s about a foot long and, at a guess, its little body is another foot or foot-and-a-half. In other words, this guy is not a threat. It may look longingly at my 11 lb dog, but it won’t attack. It’s still a baby.

What’s nice about this baby, though, is that it’s interested in activity on the path. The year before last, the alligator stayed on the far side of the pond, far away from us. This guy, though, clearly likes to hang out and watch the world go by. Indeed, as we walk past, he slowly swivels, keeping a curious eye on us.

The above picture isn’t great because the alligator is small, and there was some distance from where I stood to where he swam. However, I think you can get a very good sense of what the little guy looks like. Isn’t he cute?