8 The Allio^ator and Its Allies 



'& 



According to Ditmars, the crocodile has, as a rule, 

 larger and more exposed teeth than the alligator. 

 Finally, as will be brought out later, the crocodile 

 is usually more quick and active, and also more 

 vicious, than the alligator. 



Very young alligators are nearly black, with 

 distinct, yellow cross bands; as they grow older 

 these markings become less distinct until in ma- 

 turity the animals are of a uniform gray or dirty 

 black color. 



Habitat. The American alligator is found in 

 the rivers and swamps of the Southern States, 

 from the southern part of North Carolina to the 

 Rio Grande, though Florida is usually thought of as 

 being the region in which they particularly abound. 

 Years ago, before the rifle of the ubiquitous tourist 

 and so-called sportsman had gotten in its deadly 

 work, the alligators were probably very abundant 

 in the Southern States; but they have been so 

 ruthlessly destroyed by native hunters for their 

 skins, and by others for mere wanton sport, that 

 one may travel, perhaps, for days along the rivers 

 of the South without seeing a single 'gator. 



The account quoted by Clarke from Bartram's 

 travels of more than one hundred years ago, while 

 probably exaggerated, gives an idea of the abun- 

 dance of the alligators at that time: "The rivers 

 at this place from shore to shore, and perhaps 

 near a half mile above and below me, appeared 

 to be one solid bank of fish of various kinds, push- 



