Alligator Farm
It was Mother’s Day, and my sister Marg and her son Emmett (age 7) wanted to visit Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, not far from where we were staying in South Ponte Vedra. Why not? I enjoy old-time Florida attractions, and Alligator Farm, dating back to 1893, is one of the oldest. So I was happy to tag along.
The farm had an impressive collection of live animals: every species of alligator, crocodile, and caiman from around the world; snakes, tortoises, and other reptiles; colorful exotic birds; and unusual mammals. There was an albino alligator and some huge Komodo dragons. A big lagoon in the center of the park had dozens of American alligators; I counted over eighty of them!
We saw a live animal show with a bright green parrot who said “Hello!” and turned around on command, a surprisingly lively Burmese turtle, and a rainbow python with iridescent scales.
We held a live snake! It was a ball python named Romeo, and the zookeeper assured us he had already been fed a mouse for breakfast. His skin felt cool and smooth, and I could feel his muscles moving underneath. Romeo seemed to want to cuddle with Marg, and she said she could feel the mouse inside him (yuck!). Emmett loves snakes, and chose a stuffed one to take home as a souvenir.
At the afternoon alligator feeding, fifteen or twenty alligators gathered around the zookeeper. She dangled some snacks one by one: a large (dead) rat, a chicken. A few gators jumped up and grabbed them. The others didn’t move, but watched expectantly, waiting for… what? Something more scrumptious?
The zookeeper informed us that alligators are fiercely protective of their young, staying with them for up to two years - far longer than most reptiles. Gators are great mothers! So it turns out, Alligator Farm was just the right place to be on Mother’s Day.
