18 THE ALLIGATOR'S LIFE HISTORY 



certainly not more than twelve or fifteen years old, and 

 alligators that were ten feet long that were certainly 

 twenty-five years old. The age can be determined to a 

 certain degree by the teeth, and by the ruggedness of the 

 head. The older the alligator, the rougher the bone 

 formation of the head and jaws, while a young alligator 

 has rather smoother lines to both head and jaws. The 

 teeth of a fully-matured alligator are almost solid all the 

 way down, while an alligator that is not fully grown has 

 hollow teeth, the top of which are dropped and replaced 

 by new ones as its jaws become larger. 



There is no difference in color between the male and 

 female alligator. From an outward appearance, it is 

 impossible to distinguish the male from the female in 

 specimens under seven feet in length. Beyond that length, 

 the male tends to become much thicker in body, and its 

 head becomes much more rugged, and its jaws more power- 

 ful. Alligators are susceptible to change of color due to 

 the water which they inhabit. The most brilliant colored 

 alligators are found in the clear salt-water streams, and in 

 the salt marshes bordering the Gulf Coast, where they do 

 not come in contact with muddy or discolored water. The 

 alligators having a yellowish cast to their skins are those 

 inhabiting streams in which a great amount of drainage 

 water flows. These are much lighter in color, with a de- 

 cidedly yellowish cast, than are the alligators inhabiting the 

 clean, salt water. The darkest alligators come from 

 Tupelo Gum Swamps. The water in these swamps is 

 almost black, being stained by the leaves, berries and roots 

 of the Tupelo Gum. A small section of Tupelo Gum root, 

 or a handful of Tupelo Gum leaves put into a bucket of 

 water, will turn the water almost as black as if ink had 

 been poured into it. Alligators inhabiting such waters are 

 extremely dark in color. There is occasionally an Albino 

 alligator. I had a skin brought to me that was entirely 

 light yellow in color from head to tail. This skin was 



