Snoozing Alligator - Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC 3-25-11 The N. American Alligator is the largest reptile in N. America and can grow to 18 feet. Always found near water, this alligator inhabits several southern states including MS and LA. As with other reptiles, they are cold-blooded, which means they cannot generate their own body heat and must rely on the sun for warmth. This meat-eater feeds on nearly any type of animal such as fish, birds, small mammals and snakes. Normally hunting from the water, the alligator will actually lunge out of the water to reach its prey. If the prey is too big to eat whole, it can tear of chunks by rolling until a piece breaks free. To distinguish them from crocodiles, a close relative, look for the blunt nose and top row of teeth that are visible when the mouth is shut. Crocodiles have pointed noses and all teeth can be shown when mouth is closed. In the U.S. crocodiles are only present in southernmost tip of Florida and the Everglades. - The Nature In Us

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Snoozing Alligator - Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC 3-25-11
The N. American Alligator is the largest reptile in N. America and can grow to 18 feet. Always found near water, this alligator inhabits several southern states including MS and LA. As with other reptiles, they are cold-blooded, which means they cannot generate their own body heat and must rely on the sun for warmth. This meat-eater feeds on nearly any type of animal such as fish, birds, small mammals and snakes. Normally hunting from the water, the alligator will actually lunge out of the water to reach its prey. If the prey is too big to eat whole, it can tear of chunks by rolling until a piece breaks free. To distinguish them from crocodiles, a close relative, look for the blunt nose and top row of teeth that are visible when the mouth is shut. Crocodiles have pointed noses and all teeth can be shown when mouth is closed. In the U.S. crocodiles are only present in southernmost tip of Florida and the Everglades.

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) - Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC 3-25-11
The red fox can be found in most of the United States and Canada, except for the far north in Canada and Alaska and much of the western U.S. and Hawaii. The red fox can also be found in Europe and Asia and it has been introduced to Australia. The red fox makes its home in wooded areas, prairies and farmland. The red fox eats a wide variety of foods. It is an omnivore and its diet includes fruits, berries and grasses. It also eats birds and small mammals like squirrels, rabbits and mice. A large part of the red fox's diet is made up invertebrates like crickets, caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles and crayfish. The red fox will continue to hunt even when it is full. It stores extra food under leaves, snow or dirt.

Three-legged Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) - Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC 3-25-11
The Gray Fox is a solitary hunter, eats a wide-variety of foods and is able to climb trees. A large part of its diet is made up of small mammals like mice, voles and eastern cottontail rabbits. It also eats birds; insects; and plants like corn, apples, nuts, berries and grass. In the summer and autumn, grasshoppers and crickets are an important part of its diet. The Gray Fox can be distinguished from the Red Fox by its tail. The Red Fox has a white tip. Although the Gray Fox has some red to its coloring, which makes many people think they've seen a Red Fox instead, it's predominately gray, whereas the Red Fox is totally red. The gray fox can be found from southern Canada to northern Columbia and Venezuela.

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) - Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC 3-25-11
The red fox mates from January through March. The female will make one or more dens right after mating. The extra dens are used if the original den is disturbed. A little less than two months after mating, the female gives birth to a litter of between one and ten kits. The male brings the female food while she is caring for the kits. The kits start playing outside the den when they are about a month old. The mother begins feeding her kits regurgitated food, but eventually she will bring them live prey to "play" with and eat. Playing with live prey helps the young kits develop the skills they will need for hunting. The kits leave their mother when they are about seven months old. The red fox is mostly nocturnal, although it will sometimes venture out in the day. The red fox, unlike other mammals, hears low-frequency sounds very well. It can hear small animals digging underground and will frequently dig in the dirt or snow to catch prey. The fox stalks its prey, much like a cat. It gets as close as it can and then pounces and chases its prey. Except for breeding females, the fox doesn't usually use a den. Sometimes it will sleep in the open, wrapping its bushy tail around its nose to stay warm. When it does use a den, it will usually find an abandoned rabbit or marmot den instead of making its own den.

The Cypress Tree - Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC 3-25-11
This log is a portion of a Bald Cypress tree (Taxodium distichum) cut from virgin swamplands in the 18th or 19th century during the creation of rice fields along the Waccamaw River. The original marks from hand-axes used by enslaved Africans to fell the trees are visible. A Dept. of Natural Resources biologist believes the log was at least 500 years old when cut. Owned by the SC Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Bald Cypress log is on permanent loan to Brookgreen Gardens for display as a piece of SC's cultural heritage. Recovered from the Waccamaw River in 2009, the log is 17 feet in length with a diameter of 10 feet and weighs approximately 6 tons.

Springtime Frolic, Joseph Lorkowski Boulton (1897-1981), Aluminum - Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC 3-25-11
After serving in the Marine Corps in WWI, Boulton's health failed to the extent that he required a wholesome outdoor environment for rehabilitation. He moved to rural Connecticut where the wild surroundings of his home gave him opportunities to observe many wildlife species, resulting in his chosen field of animal sculpture. This spirited group won the Watrous Gold Medal of the Nat'l Academy of Design in 1953 and the gold medal of honor of the Hudson Valley Art Assoc. in 1960.

Snoozing Alligator - Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC 3-25-11
The N. American Alligator is the largest reptile in N. America and can grow to 18 feet. Always found near water, this alligator inhabits several southern states including MS and LA. As with other reptiles, they are cold-blooded, which means they cannot generate their own body heat and must rely on the sun for warmth. This meat-eater feeds on nearly any type of animal such as fish, birds, small mammals and snakes. Normally hunting from the water, the alligator will actually lunge out of the water to reach its prey. If the prey is too big to eat whole, it can tear of chunks by rolling until a piece breaks free. To distinguish them from crocodiles, a close relative, look for the blunt nose and top row of teeth that are visible when the mouth is shut. Crocodiles have pointed noses and all teeth can be shown when mouth is closed. In the U.S. crocodiles are only present in southernmost tip of Florida and the Everglades.

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