Talk:Alligator

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What does alligator meat taste like?

Responding to the recent spate of edits, especially [1] by Bob98133. What is a good source for the taste of alligator meat, then? Does this "fact" even need to be in the article?If the exotic meat-seller is a not a source for the taste of alligator meat, why do we still have a list of foods alligator meat is used in (the currently unsourced statement in the article came from the same .pdf)? - Enuja (talk) 02:09, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Should probably see if Ernest A. Liner, author of The Culinary Herpetologist(!) has ever written anything on the subject of the taste ;-p Mfield (talk) 06:13, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I thought originally that the exotic meat seller would be a good source because they would be most in contact with the meat itself and with those who consume it, but the "Culinary Herpetologist" book sounds more promising. The problem, as I was informed because of my other edits, exists in the fact that comparing tastes can only ever be considered an opinion. Undoubtedly I have heard many people say alligator meat tastes like chicken -- I have heard it, I have experienced it. "That I have heard it" is the fact. Its taste is subjective. At least, that's my current understanding. So, the exotic meat seller would have an interest in selling its product, and ordinary sources might be too subjective. I hope we can figure something out, though, because there are many people who are curious what alligator would taste like who will never find out for themselves. There's more at WP:NPOV, if someone will offer another interpretation. Owlgorithm (talk) 18:45, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't know if it's POV or not, but isn't describing how food tastes always a bit subjective? If we're to delete anything not absolutely objective, any ref to taste must be removed from every article on anything edible. I invite anybody with a spare lifetime to begin. TREKphiler ^{hit me ♠} 18:50, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Like chicken, everything tastes like chicken except beef, pork, fish, and chicken. -sorry, someone had to say that.

What lurks beneath

Actually there was a documented case of a 5 foot alligator being pulled out of a sewer in 1931. After that the city made a campaign to kill them and sent teams down with shot guns. The sewers stay warm during the winter with plenty of potential food but there has not been any evidence of alligators in the sewers since then.

One thing to note is a recent trend in raising alligators is to keep them in complete darkness. They reach 5 feet in length in a years' time. Something that normally takes 4 to 5 years in the wild. No one knows why, nor do I know how anyone discovered this or what the research done was. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.71.221.193 (talk) 16:17, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

Why is there no mention of alligators that roam about the sewers of places like New York City and occasionally get caught in people's pipes? -Alan 24.184.184.177 (talk) 14:07, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

There is not because such a description is obviously fictional.--Archeopteryx (talk) 03:01, 25 October 2008 (UTC)

The plain fact is that alligators cannot survive in darkness - they need ultraviolet light in order to produce Vitamin D, which they need in order to metabolize calcium. Even if kept in room lighting, without UV, crocodilians will become deformed and eventually die. Mokele (talk) 16:23, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

More is appreciated

This is little in length of what I'd expect of a Wikipedia article of a well known animal. Also, there should also be a section added that talks about the threat humans pose to alligators.--Archeopteryx (talk) 03:00, 25 October 2008 (UTC)

Remove albino section and photo?

I don't believe that either of these benefit the article. The albino article makes it clear that reptiles can be albinos. The cited reference, which is pretty shaky (make sure to vote if you think it's good) states that they do not survive in the wild. The photograph, which was not described as taken in captivity, obviously was. Neither this information nor the photograph are representative of the topic. I suggest they both be removed. If this information is of any value, it should be placed in the albino article. Bob98133 (talk) 03:17, 29 October 2008 (UTC)

• Against. IMO the image and the info add value to the article and link to albinism. IMO many Wikipedia readers, who visit alligator article have never heard about albinism. The image and the info provide link to albinism article. I believe Wikipedia readers will benefit from learning something new while visiting alligator article. I've never tried to hide that the image was taken in captivity. As a matter of fact I provided this info on Bob98133 own talk page four days ago. Mbz1 (talk) 21:57, 31 October 2008 (UTC)

• Against. A picture has a visceral impact description doesn't. (Same rationales here, where representative pix got taken down as "unnecessary" by Philistines...) TREKphiler ^{hit me ♠}

• Against - User Mbz1 has done nothing by add quality to many wikipedia articles. Albino alligators may not be the most notable subject on the matter, but having a small 2-3 sentence passage in a relatively short article is not a problem. --Travis Thurston+ 21:32, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

• Eh - It is actually a notable phenomenon, due to the fuss zoos have made and the rarity of such animals, but not terribly important. If this were print, I'd say drop it are irrelevant, but since it costs nothing for WP to add content, there's no major problem. However, it seems poorly integrated into the article as a whole. Mokele (talk) 22:09, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

Crocogator

Is it possible to cross a crocodile and alligator and get a crocogator hybrid —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jack turnip (talk • contribs) 12:46, 29 October 2008 (UTC)

As far as I know, it is not possible. While reptiles seem to have an easier time hybridizing with distant relatives (even cross-genus), the separation between the two groups is so old that I doubt any hybrids would be viable. Mokele (talk) 22:11, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

Link for number of teeth

This page http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/brittoncrocs/csp_amis.htm says 74-80 teeth. I haven't seen anything for where in that range is typical. --Dan Wylie-Sears 2 (talk) 22:45, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

Top speed unknown, probably 10-15 mph, not 27

I took out the statement that they can go up to 27mph. I couldn't find a satisfactory estimate to replace it with. Here's what I did find:

"We know of no one who has measured the ground speed of alligators." http://myfwc.com/GATORS/faq.htm

"On land, Alligators are not capable of running faster than a slow human, top speed is probably between 10 and 15 miles per hour." http://www.enature.com/expert/expert_show_question.asp?questionID=14232

"The MAXIMUM top speed of an alligator, you ready for this? After extensive research.... it was determined to be between 10 and 11 miles per hour, for up to 8 yards." http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2221/gator.html

The last one is specific enough, but it's from a source specializing in snakes not gators, and I didn't see any details of the extensive research. --Dan Wylie-Sears 2 (talk) 23:23, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

How many alligators are there?

Under the general heading it states that there are about 1,000,000 wild alligators on earth. In the next paragraph it says that there are approximatly a million alligators each in Florida and Louisiana. Now you could assume that they each have more than half a million living in captivity, but that is quite far fetched. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.148.69.174 (talk) 03:00, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

Vision

At night

   * with the pupils fully dilated, sharpness of vision comparable to an owl's
   * like cats, alligators have thin layer of special reflecting tissue behind each retina called tapetum lucidum (bright carpet) which acts like a mirror to concentrate all available light during darkest of nights (a definite advantage for a night-active meat-eater)
   * also causes coal-red eyeshine at night when caught in the flashlight beam 

Peripheral

   * bulging eyes on top of head provide 25 degrees of binocular vision to judge distance and attack with accuracy 

Protection

   * can pull soft eye orbits down into skulls, letting them pop back up when coast is clear
   * before eyes closed, nictitating membranes close front to back, then eyelids close top to bottom 

Eye rotation

   * like a compass needle pointing perpetually north, oval-shaped pupils remain vertical to horizon, even when head tilted
   * adaptation for enhanced, undisrupted vision possible by compass-like movement of eyeballs (but it only works when somewhat horizontal. Flip a gator on its back and visual system and equilibrium disturbed- eyes unable to focus and gator motionless as though experiencing extreme vertigo)  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tina0111 (talk • contribs) 06:11, 16 October 2009 (UTC) 

VISION

At night

   * with the pupils fully dilated, sharpness of vision comparable to an owl's
   * like cats, alligators have thin layer of special reflecting tissue behind each retina called tapetum lucidum (bright carpet) which acts like a mirror to concentrate all available light during darkest of nights (a definite advantage for a night-active meat-eater)
   * also causes coal-red eyeshine at night when caught in the flashlight beam 

Peripheral

   * bulging eyes on top of head provide 25 degrees of binocular vision to judge distance and attack with accuracy 

Protection

   * can pull soft eye orbits down into skulls, letting them pop back up when coast is clear
   * before eyes closed, nictitating membranes close front to back, then eyelids close top to bottom 

Eye rotation

   * like a compass needle pointing perpetually north, oval-shaped pupils remain vertical to horizon, even when head tilted
   * adaptation for enhanced, undisrupted vision possible by compass-like movement of eyeballs (but it only works when somewhat horizontal. Flip a gator on its back and visual system and equilibrium disturbed- eyes unable to focus and gator motionless as though experiencing extreme vertigo)  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tina0111 (talk • contribs) 06:15, 16 October 2009 (UTC) 

I call BS on the alligators in the Dismal Swamp in VA

There is no reference for the alligators in the summer in VA Dismal Swamp, nor Missouri. Unless someone can supply a supporting reference, these claims should be trimmed. A VA prescense is intriguing since they have been noted in Mills Pond (Dismal Swamp in NC) and in the NC's Currituck Sound (the far northern extension of which would be VA's Back Bay. However, nonetheless for being intriguing, there are no confirmed reports of non-released gators in VA. The Missouri speculation is WAY WACKED since even in Arkansa, they only occur in the far South.