Moy 25,
1 (О
THE STATE
Page Three
Carolina
Alligators
YOU may no! know il. bill llicrc
are Mill quite a number of
'gator* found annually in 14'orth
Carolina water*. Mr. Mont¬
gomery tell* you *ome interest¬
ing thing* about their habit*.
By Frank
/1.
Montgomery. Jr.
OVER in die coait country of
North Carolina, in tin4 slug¬
gish stream* of brackish water,
is found one of tlic moot unusual of
all tbo creatures that inhabit the .Into.
I refer to the alligator.
Counties* talc* have been woven
about these strange and unusual rep¬
tile*. Stories of their ferociousness
and of their blood-thirsty habit» have
gone the round* time and time again,
until the average citizen has come t..
regard them much in the same light
a» though the beasts «ere relie.» from
some long-forgotten age.
Often it has been »tatcd that alli¬
gators do not hesitate to attack human
beings ; slapping them into the Water
with the terrific strength in their tail-,
and then making short work of their
victim*. Hut while such stories are
widespread, there are few authentic
cates of an alligator attacking a man
unless provoked— at least in North
Carolina. On tlie other hand, it is
true that they have been known to at¬
tack unwary bather* and «nail chil¬
dren, while it is a positive fact that
they show no hesitancy whatever in
attacking livestock, quite often de¬
stroying pigs, goat», dogs, chicken»,
and even calves.
In the Cape Fear Section
The Cape Fear section has long been
noted as the most northerly spot in
North America where alligator* arc
found in numbers, but due to the work
of the hide hunter*, they have become
badly depleted a* in other parts of
Thcw> hide hunters work iu a most
interesting manner. Sometimes they
carry rifles in their boat*; sometime,
they use nothing but snare* and axe".
They float noiselessly down the creek,
at night; the darker the better, direct¬
ing ahead of them the hs-anis from a
flashlight or pine fagot. As soon a*
they ‘‘shine" the gator, whose ovc* ap¬
pear us two dull r«sl coal* glowing in
the light, the rifle is brought into ac¬
tion.
Tim “*narei»,‘‘ however, disdain the
rills-. They also use the light, hut in¬
stead of shooting th«- alligator, they
dangle a loop of *tout wire from
л
long
pole directly in front of the least’s
nose. The loner part of the wire noose
sinks beneath the water and when it
has been cased far enough Imek from
the animal's snout to hold, a quick jerk
tightens il. To the other end of the
pole i* a length of strong ro|>e. and
just as soon as the ’gator feci* the
noose tighten there begins a rough ami
tumble fight. A* won a* the hunter
is able to "beach" the alligator, he )*
soon finished by a blow on the head
with an axe.
There was a time when alligator
skin* were in much demand ami price*
were rather high. In late year*, how¬
ever, the demand ha* fallen ofl. Some
arc Mill uwd to provide leather for
shoe* and boots, and in the manufac¬
ture of trunks, traveling bugs, purse*,
pockctbook* and all sorts of novelties.
The teeth are nUo in small demand.
Most of the hide* used now come from
states further south than North Caro¬
lina, although about four year* ago
some hide hunters visited the Cape
Fear section and killed, according to
estimates, 1100 or more of the reptile*.
Only the skin covering the stomach of
the gator is used, a* tho top or back
portion* arc too horny and tough.
Contrary to general belief, alliga¬
tor* lay egg*. After the mating sea¬
son, the female alligator build* her
ncM of sticks and leaves, where the
egg* are deposited. They may be from
12 to 50 of these. The heat of the Mil»
hatehe* them, usually in about sixty-
day*. The littlo alligators are about
ten inches long at birth, and as soon
a* they are hatched out, they head for
the water.
Hibernate During Winter
In the fall of the year, when tin-
day* and night* are turning a little
cool, with a threat of winter in the
air, the alligators gradually disappear,
for the most part going into their dens
where they qiend the winter month*
sleeping ami fasting. Although much
— oiled at, it is an established fact that
alligator*, just before they go into
hibernation, fill their -toniach* with
pine knots, bulrush roots or similar
article*. This is done not, a. some
people believe, to furnish sustenance
during the dormant period, hut to pre¬
vent the wall* of the Momach from
collapsing when empty of food.
The usual food of the alligator con¬
sist* of lull, turtle*, crabs, raakte, bird*,
small animal*, and some of the oddest
article* of diet imaginable. In the
stomach* of several large alligator*
killed by hide hunter* wore found the
following object* : pebbles, bulrush
roots, bit* of dead wood, cinders (left
by a dredging machine), *snd, several
shotgun shells, clam shell* and num¬
bers of bone*.
Alligator» arc >trictly a warm
weather beast, and North Carolina is
just about the most northerly latitude
iu which they are found in any num¬
ber*.