The Albino Alligator

So this weekend Natalie and I decided to renew our membership at Flamingo Gardens. They were having an amphibian and reptile expo like they normally do a couple times a year but this time they featured an albino alligator. Among the other things there were dart frogs, snakes, turtles, tarantulas, etc.

A lot of these creatures were for sale, not the alligator though. The albino alligator is very rare. They cannot survive in the wild. They would sun burn and even if they were to survive that they would go blind. So needless to say, if they find them in the wild they kill them. There are 65 captive albino alligators in the world though. One of the others is at Jungle Island, it's a pretty big one. The one they had at this show was named "Lady Godiva", like the white chocolate, and she is worth $25,000. Normally alligators are black, despite Disney cartoons drawing them green. This one is white, so naming it after a white chocolate makes since, right? Lady Godiva is 9 years old and this guy rescued her from a zoo. He said she is very small for her age because at the zoo they were just doing maintenance feeding, basically feeding her just enough to keep her alive and not grow. She is a very calm alligator and he said she has never tried to bite him. He did however have to put clear tape over her mouth because of all the kids petting her. One kid was actually squeezing her neck and poking her right before I got to take my picture with her and I don't think she liked it too much.

Anyways I hardly ever carry cash on me and Saturday was no exception. I had no idea they would be taking pictures with this alligator. I get there and Lady Godiva is on the table and there is a sign saying that we can take a picture with her for 5 bucks. They didn't take credit so I went to the gift shop, snack bar, and nursery, thinking I could get cash back on a purchase. Flamingo Gardens is a non-profit sanctuary though so I couldn't get cash back and there is no atm there. My only option was to leave if I wanted to get some cash. I decided to leave. It's a very rare opportunity and I was not about to miss it. So we left and went to CVS to get some cash and then came back to get a picture with the alligator. I think the guy was a little surprised to see that I actually came back with the money. However he did comment that it's such a rare opportunity when he took our picture, I guess he was just a little surprised that I knew that and was willing to leave to get the cash when most people would have just walked away.

So here are so pictures of us holding the albino alligator. I didn't plan it but I happened to be wearing my shirt that says "Overly Caucasian, "Do not place on a dance floor". It got me 10% off my lunch at Pollo Tropical, and it was pretty funny taking a picture with it. Who's the whitey, me or the alligator?

Walking around Flamingo Gardens after seeing the alligator. Natalie is showing off some Blue Chungi Bamboo.