It’s the event you’ve all been waiting for! As we’ve watched each week and seen one competitor after another fall, we’ve made it to the final round where the American Insti-Gator takes on ‘Merica the Croc. As each contender enters the ring, a fury of cheers from the expectant crowd follows. Fans show their support by holding up signs, foam fingers, and inflatable gator skulls--it’s great to see the crowd support these Florida favorites.
At the sound of the bell, each contender starts posturing, sending out a bone-chilling hiss. They seem to be eyeballing one another but not making any significant move to an offensive or defensive position--it appears that they’re sizing one another up or possibly just staring in amusement, as they’ve probably never seeing one of their reptilian cousins before. Normally, these two would not interact in the wild. The American alligator generally lives in the southeastern US with Everglades dwellers existing in the southernmost point of that range. The American crocodile, however, generally inhabits the coastal areas of southern Florida, the northernmost point of their range. Since ‘Merica and his species tend to prefer brackish water to freshwater, there’s just not a lot of interaction between these two.
After some serious examination, ‘Merica starts making fun of Insti-Gator’s jaw shape and laughing at his overbite. If you listen closely, you can hear the jesting:
‘Merica: “Hey Insti-Gator, what do an alligator and Windows have in common?..... Neither has enough bytes!”
In response…
Insti-Gator: “Hey ‘Merica, why is it that crocodiles don’t hurt lawyers?”
There is a pause--such a stagnant pause that you could head a pin drop in the arena--and ‘Merica looks perplexed…
Insti-Gator: “Professional courtesy!”
With that, both reptilian cousins are hysterically laughing and continuing to banter one another--it’s like a family reunion with your distant cousin. The jokes are still flying until ‘Merica heard something he didn’t like. In a split second, ‘Merica is agitated and becoming aggressive towards his distant cousin. What started out as fun, has now turned to intense tension and terror. ‘Merica starts by swinging his head laterally with bone-breaking force at his opponent--a common maneuver among crocodiles. He’s aiming to splinter bone, shatter teeth, and cause lacerated tissue and deep bruising. Insti-Gator is trying to dodge but ‘Merica lands a hard blow on Insti-Gator’s skull. Now, Insti-Gator is moving to the offensive, but so is ‘Merica; both reptiles are going for the head and front limbs in an effort to subdue the other.
As each attacks and counter attacks, they both begin to slow down and become drained. Each contender takes a few steps away from the other and lays in the warm sand of the ring. So…I guess that’s the first round--the bell is sound even though the round technically isn’t over. This isn’t surprising since each creature is ectothermic, meaning they must use external sources to regulate their body’s temperature. A quick sun bath will allow them to regain energy and warm up their limbs.
20 minutes later….
After 20 minutes of sun bathing, the competitors are back at it! In a great hustle, Insti-Gator appears to have found ‘Merica’s weakness. In a final effort, Insti-Gator defeats ‘Merica, causing his fans to roar with excitement! During their tussle, Insti-Gator noticed that ‘Merica’s scutes--the armor tiles located on the neck and back--were far fewer and much more irregularly arranged than his own armored defences. ‘Merica may have been more effective if he had lured Insti-Gator into the brackish water that only he can handle, but it looks like his anger got the better of him and he was blinded by his aggression.
This outcome isn’t a surprise to some, as many who have seen these two species living in the same area (in gator farm situation) will attest to the crocodiles williness to start a fight, but the alligators ability to finish it. Sometimes, overagression is a competitors downfall. As ‘Merica slowly begins to leave the ring, Insti-Gator invites him to stand in victory with him, displaying their unity as Florida natives. It’s a beautiful sight, seeing these two united after such a competitive match, but Florida’s species need to stick together to ensure the ecosystem’s continues success.
If you’re looking for additional information about the American alligator or American crocodile, visit Wild Florida today. Seeing as Christmas is quickly approaching give your alligator lover a unique gift--Wild Florida sells gator skulls, heads, and teeth.
What do you think of this matchup? Do you agree with the outcome?
