THE ALLIGATOR'S LIFE HISTORY 63 



foot in length above thirteen feet. This offer is known to 

 all regular alligator hunters of Louisiana and Texas and 

 has been standing for more than twenty years. During that 

 time one thirteen footer has been brought me, plenty of 

 eleven and twelve footers, but none larger. There has 

 hardly been a Summer since I first made this offer that I 

 have not received word of the capture of fourteen foot, 

 fifteen foot and larger alligators, but on sending to meas- 

 ure them, they have been found to be from ten and one-half 

 to twelve feet in length. It is amazing how the length of 

 an alligator shrinks when a tape line is stretched along 

 his back 1 



The weight of a male alligator is not always in propor- 

 tion to his length, for one type grows long and slender and 

 another has less length and more thickness. So there may 

 be great differences in the weight of alligators having the 

 same length. Then again the time for weighing has 

 much to do with the weight for length. A ten foot alligator 

 weighed in April shortly after he had come out of winter 

 quarters will always weigh much less than the same alligator 

 if he had been weighed in the Fall when full of fat and pre- 

 pared to go into his den for the Winter. As he eats nothing 

 for five months, it is only natural that considerable weight 

 is lost during the hibernating period. 



The measurements and weights of three large male alli- 

 gators I now have, were as follows on July 15, 1932: 



Grandpa, 11 ft., 6 inches weighed 591 Ibs. 

 Jim, 11 ft., 9y 2 inches weighed 486^ Ibs. 

 Big-Boy, 12 ft., 1 inch weighed 460 Ibs. 



Grandpa is much the oldest of the three and is one of the 

 short heavy type. Big-Boy is the youngest of the three and 

 is one of the long slender type. I think Big-Boy will ex- 

 ceed fifteen feet in length at thirty years, he is now about 

 sixteen years old. 



