Photo by Tina Schell
American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis)
Anyone who has spent a reasonable amount of time on
Kiawah will have come across an alligator or two along the
way. Locals know it is a virtual guarantee that there are at
least one or two sunning themselves on the pond between
Osprey Golf Course’s clubhouse and 10th tee box.
I have had many personal encounters, but the most
memorable was the day I was out with my nephew, also a
photographer, taking photos of egrets in a rookery on one
of Kiawah’s many lagoons. After parking my car, I walked
across the lawn with a zoom lens pasted to my eye, focused
on the birds. Suddenly, at the top of his lungs, my nephew
shrieked, “STOP!”
Of course, I did so very quickly. At that point, I
immediately spotted the largest alligator I’ve ever seen on
Kiawah. It was about two feet ahead of me and directly in the
path of my advancing feet.
Fortunately, he had no interest in yours truly and turned
the other way, slithering into the pond. I managed to grab
a quick shot as he moved away, shown above. (Note to self:
Watch where you are walking, especially around Kiawah’s
lagoons!)
WINTER/SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 35
For years, my granddaughter called our gators “crock-os.” If
you put an alligator next to a crocodile, you’d have a difficult
time noting any differences. So for future reference, the
primary differences are:
•• Alligators have slightl