THE ALLIGATOR'S LIFE HISTORY 21 



is not more than two years old, while a twelve foot alligator 

 would not be more than sixteen or twenty years old at the 

 most. 



From "The Fur Animals of Louisiana" Bulletin 18 

 (Revised), published by the Department of Conservation 

 of the State of Louisiana, January, 1931, we get the follow- 

 ing remarkable information: 



Page 174 "According to information gathered while 

 making surveys of the alligators of our State, it has been 

 ascertained that the alligators mate during the latter 

 part of February and the first of March." 



The facts are, alligators mate in Louisiana from the 

 tenth of April until early June, never earlier and rarely 

 later. 



Page 175 "The mating takes place on the ground." 

 The mating always takes place in the water. 



Page 175 "Mating is accompanied by a great deal 

 of fighting on the part of each, slapping one another with 

 their long heavy tails; the cow using not only her 

 tail, but jaws, even if the attentions of the bull are not 

 distasteful." 



I have witnessed the mating of alligators dozens of 

 times, and have never seen the cow show any desire to fight 

 her mate. I have seen rival bulls fight during the mating 

 season. 



Page 176 "The nesting site is in most instances a 

 dry piece of ground, sometimes an acre or two from the 

 hole." 



As alligators live in marshes and swamps often many 

 miles from dry ground; "dry ground" is rarely used as a 



