The other day I was in the local swamps walking along about even with an Alligator swimming with purpose. Usually they are almost random moving around, so I followed along thinking of the shot I might get.

I went to where I assumed he was heading and waited. And looked down.

Oops.  I had company.

There’s no perspective here so this could be a huge animal. Well, not so much. I guess a maximum of 3 feet (a meter).

This Alligators skin has patterns. Adult gators lose most of their patterned scales. Length wise at around 4 feet an Alligator is 4 years old. Growth slows at that point.

An Alligator this size is still not something to poke. Teenagers, all species, are unpredictable.