Dude is chillin’.
Message from Smaug: “Smaug has requested that alligators have their crocodilian license revoked effective… after I’ve had this tasty wallaby”
C’mon, Smaug is just jealous. He wants a nice lady to brush his back, too.
I’m curious what that brushing is supposed to accomplish. Sure, it probably feels good, but is there some other more practical purpose?
Dislodging parasites? Removing moss?
“Scratch my back or you’re lunch?”
I was hoping Krok could enlighten us.
The cynic in me will tell you that it’s grandstanding. Alligators do not need their backs scrubbed. However, as it’s on public display it helps to remove algae that can grow in warm water with excess nutrients, and it can remove dead skin that can build-up with lack of moving water. There’s also good reason to believe they quite enjoy it, and even seek it out. I’ve seen similar behaviour from wild saltwater crocodiles that were habituated to approach by large boats, they seemed to invite a back scratch with a broom, and bliss out while it was happening.
Also, it’s alligator breeding season right now, and one of the courtship signals between courting gators is scratching claws along the back. So yes, I would say that alligator is probably having a pretty good time.
Doesn’t play for me…
Brushed your gator sounds like a euphemism for something.
That’s because the tweet was deleted.
Was this it? I googled brushing gator video…
That’s the one, clearly not enough gator brushing videos on YouTube
Thanks.
I laughed when I saw it, Gabby is actually the girlfriend of a good friend of mine.
I haven’t met her yet, but I imagine I will eventually…
Is Gabby the human or the gator?
Honestly it seems kinda uncomfortable to me, rubbing scales against the grain. If it was a cat the whole damned park would have been ripped to shreds inside a minute. I was informed to know, however, that saurian scales are that elastic.
Croc / gator scales don’t have a grain. They’re not like lizards, perhaps because grabbing prey on the bank and sliding back into the water demands they can slide both ways. Not a euphemism.
Or at least not just.