rest of the mass is distributed around the gator’s
hulking girth and large head with the distinctive
rounded snout. Short limbs stick out to the side, and
extensive toe webbing makes them perfect as
rudders for steering.There are albino alligators, too, from the bayous of
Louisiana, where they were accidentally discovered
in 1992 by commercial gator farmer Jerry Savoie. At
St. Augustine, they are kept in a shaded area just
past the entrance, to protect their white scales and
unpigmented eyes from the strong light. Sadly, adult
albinos only exist in captivity. Their white skin
makes juveniles conspicuous to predators, and theyare susceptible to fatal sunburn.From humble beginnings, as little more than a
simple roadside attraction in the 1950s, the Alligator
Farm of the new millennium has the unrivalled
distinction of being the only park, since 1993, to
showcase all 24 known, extant species of crocodili-
ans under a single roof. Jenny Pramuk, PhD, an
expert on reptiles and amphibians at Seattle’s
Woodland Park Zoo, wasn’t remotely concerned
about sending their beloved pair of dwarf crocs to
the Alligator Farm after fire ravaged their habitat last
year. “They’re going to the luxury resort of croco-
diles. They are going to retire in style.”What croc wouldn’t enjoy eternal sunshine, with
warm pools for bathing and heated floors?The ‘Land of the Crocodiles’ exhibit provides for an
up-close look at the amazing members of order
Crocodilia, including the feisty, bellicose caimans
and the weak-legged, narrow-snouted gharials. But
the most fearsome species of these apex predators
is the Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus
porosus), the largest reptile alive. Known
to prey on deer, buffalo, and even
humans on occasion, and possessing 64-
68 individual teeth that clamp down with
the greatest bite pressure of any animal
on the planet, the ‘saltie’ is capable of
lightning-swift attacks from its watery lair.
Able to inhabit briny ecosystems due to
the ability to excrete excess salt from
special glands (like all true crocodilians),
Saltwater or Estuarine Crocodiles have a
broad distribution that encompasses
India and Southeast Asia, New Guinea
and northern Australia, although they are
now extinct in much of the known range.
For an underwater, eye-to-eye glimpse of
this croc, head to the ‘Realm of the
Saltie’. There you can face off with
Maximo, the Alligator Farm‘s largest
reptile, weighing in at 567kg (1,250lbs)
and measuring 4.8m (15’9”) in total
length. Hard to imagine that this mon-
strous croc once hatched from a tiny egg
found 47 years ago in Australia by
Aboriginal hunters.While at the South Pacific reptile exhibits,
be sure to check out the ‘Python Cave’
where you will discover Green Tree
Pythons (Morelia viridis) and the
Reticulated Pythons (Python reticulatus).
Papuan Monitors (Varanus salvadorii)
and Lace Monitors (V. varius) are housed
indoors, while the Komodo Dragon (V.
komodoensis) has its own grassy
enclosure outside, behind glass.
Originally thought to be deaf, this
gargantuan monitor also has poor‘ALBINO ALLIGATORS wereACCIDENTALLY DISCOVERED by a
commercial gator farmer in thebayous of Louisiana.’nocturnal vision, and must rely on its
olfactory apparatus to detect prey.
But make no mistake, the giant
monitor can hone in on a dead or
dying animal nearly 9.7km (6 miles)
away with its insanely keen sense of
smell. Called ‘buaya darat’ (or land
crocodile) by the peoples of the
Lesser Sunda chain of islands in
Indonesia, the Komodo Dragon is
listed as vulnerable by the IUCN,
but wild populations are now
protected in a national park.Next, it’s time to visit the Nile
Crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus)
which are on public display in their
own eponymous exhibit, ‘Oasis on
the Nile’, which just opened this past
March. The second-largest living
crocodilian, Nile Crocodiles are
responsible for hundreds of attacks
on humans (and many fatalities)
every year in their native Africa. They have also
become one of the latest invasive species to
colonise south Florida, although there is not yet
proof that they are breeding in the wild. The
specimens at St. Augustine arrived safely secured
in the cargo hold of a regular Delta passenger flight
after crossing the Atlantic. In spite of being diverted
to Atlanta during their journey, thanks to Hurricane
Irma, John Brueggan, director of the Alligator Farm,Left: keeper Kiersten Wallace hands out another
‘rat snack’.
Above top: the albino alligators are kept in a shaded
area near the entrance to protect them from strong
light.
Above: adult American Alligators comprise six to
eight hundred pounds of pure muscle, with one third
of the body weight concentrated in the formidable
tail. Images courtesy Vickie Lillo.