Alligators: The Illustrated Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation

by Kent A. Vliet, Wayne Lynch (Photographer)

The ultimate guide to understanding the biology and behavior of the amazing and underappreciated American alligator.

Few scenes put the senses on edge more than a submerged alligator, only eyes and snout showing, when peering across a southern lake on a misty morning. An iconic American predator, these reptiles grow to thirteen feet or more and can live as long as humans. Alligators are complex creatures, capable of terrific attacks and yet tending to their young in the same gentle way a mother duck looks after her brood. Once extremely numerous, alligators came close to extinction in the twentieth century, but thanks to conservation efforts have since made a comeback, reclaiming their rightful place as the monarchs of the southern wetlands.

In this fascinating account, richly illustrated with more than 150 photographs from award-winning wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch, expert zoologist Kent A. Vliet introduces readers to the biology, ecology, and natural history of the American alligator. Sharing nuanced depictions of their hidden lives that will forever change the way you think of these giant reptiles, the book

• combines captivating storytelling with the most current scientific facts• chronicles the life cycle of the alligator• explains why the alligator's precise anatomy and physiology make it so successful• covers a wide range of topics, from courtship and reproduction to communication, basking, nest-building, and hunting• reveals the alligator's sophisticated social life in detail• evaluates the alligator's environmental role as a keystone species• examines the complicated relationship between alligators and people

301 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2020

Reviews

[Guilherme Martinho · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who intends to follow herpetology and eventually work with crocodilians I was intrigued in a book that does a deep dive in one of my favorite species, mostly interested in the sections about reproduction, distribution, temperature regulation, metabolism, growth and ecology, those sections were indeed very interesting and informative but I can’t deny my enthusiasm reading about the conservation efforts, the story of the American alligator and the brief but clear introduction to other crocodylians. The experience of the author is transparent in the writing, but the language is accessible even for someone who is not very familiar with this subject (“salties”, “gators”, etc.). There are a lot of personal experiences that the author shares which leads to an easier approach to the different sections and sometimes a moment to discuss the future (not only impacting the American alligator). The images are near perfect, and a great opportunity to utilize the knowledge you have acquired (differences between male and female alligators, differences between captive and wild alligators, identifying crocodylians, etc.).
This book is definitely a 5/5 for me, learnt a lot and consolidated some concepts I already knew, recommend taking your time reading and taking a lot of notes.

[Peter Stangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Some interesting info on gators. Writing is good but great. Nice photos.