Canon Elan IIe, tripod Sigma 170-500 at 450mm Fuji Provia 100 f11, 1/60

Where's momma?

While they might have been asking this while watching me with suspicion, this is actually the question I was asking while photographing them. I knew the mother American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) would be very close by, and I was standing on a shallow bank that she could scramble up quite quickly if she felt I was a threat. You'll notice the focal length used in the specs above.

Still, even with keeping a wary eye out for the folks, I was fascinated by these cute little monsters (how can you not love 'em?)  – you don't want to know how many frames I took. And the Discovery Channel didn't prepare me for the noises they make when startled, much like newborn puppies.

I lucked upon these guys, over a dozen of them, close to the bank within the Big Cypress Bend preserve off the Tamiami Trail (Route 41) in Florida. But I never did see momma.