Alligator in The Blue Hole, Big Pine Key, Florida Poster

"Alligator in The Blue Hole, Big Pine Key, Florida" by Catherine Sherman. As a few rain drops fall, a large American alligator hangs out near the observation deck at the Blue Hole in the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key, Florida. Perhaps, he's hoping a visitor will fall in. Another alligator hung out there, too, and when I walked on a path to the other side of the lake, this alligator swam over to my side. When I returned to the observation deck, he returned there. Both stared up at visitors on the deck. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is a large crocodilian reptile endemic to the southeastern United States. It is one of two living species in the genus Alligator within the family Alligatoridae; it is larger than the other extant alligator species, the Chinese alligator. Adult male American alligators measure 3.4 to 4.6 m (11.2 to 15.1 ft) in length, and can weigh up to 453 kg (999 lb). Females are smaller, measuring 2.6 to 3 m (8.5 to 9.8 ft) in length. The American alligator inhabits freshwater wetlands, such as marshes and cypress swamps from Texas to southeastern and coastal North Carolina. It is distinguished from the sympatric American crocodile by its broader snout, with overlapping jaws and darker coloration, and is less tolerant of saltwater but more tolerant of cooler climates than the American crocodile, which is found only in tropical climates. The Blue Hole is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys. It is an abandoned rock quarry that was used for local roads and dug in the 30s and 40s. Besides alligators, the water in the Blue Hole is used by various wildlife in the area, such as the endangered key deer, birds, snakes, turtles and green iguanas. Big Pine Key is slightly different from the Middle and Upper Keys. It is composed of oolitic limestone and not Key Largo Limestone. Fresh water can be found in oolitic formations but rarely in Key Largo Limestone.