Alligator Hatchlings Learn to Hunt
In Alligator Hatchlings Learn to Hunt, the summer wet season rejuvenates Florida landscapes and provides the ideal habitat for baby alligators. This video is excerpted from BBC's Natural World Florida: America's Animal Paradise, a series displaying Florida’s diverse wildlife and its resilience against increasing environmental threats.
Lesson Express
Q: What does the wet season of summer provide for the Florida environment?
A: Land that has been affected by fires receives rain, and the Everglades and other marshy wetlands refill.
Q: What are some of the natural defenses alligator hatchlings have?
A: They are camouflaged with the saw grass. They stay together in pods. The mother alligator keeps watch over them.
Q: Name at least two important reasons why hatchlings must hunt at night.
A: There are fewer predators. The mother alligator does not feed them, so they must practice so they can hunt on their own.
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In A Fall Chill in Southern Swamps, learn how American alligators adjust to the colder fall weather in the Southern swamps. Watch a manatee and her calf setting off on a journey to warmer waters. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
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