The larger alligators are usually easier to spot, so my daughter and I are always on the lookout for the cute juvenile and baby alligators hiding among the spatterdock lily pads and floating peat mats of the Okefenokee Swamp. And it is always a true joy to hear a baby gator chirp!
Generally, the young alligators stay with the mother for one year, but they can remain in the pod for up to three years. Staying in pods helps protect the young alligators from predators such as raccoons, large fish, birds of prey, and even other alligators. Large male alligators have been known to predate the young. Baby alligators will chirp to alert their mother for protection when threatened.
Okefenokee Photography Project by William Wise 