When you visit the Orlando area you can get to know Florida’s most famous reptile at the Wild Florida Gator and Wildlife Park. The park offers many different adventures and events like airboat rides to explore the everglades, ranch buggy tours of the park, and events, where you and your family can learn everything about gators from their habitat to heritage.
The Florida everglades is a large ecosystem that supports hundreds of species, and in the everglades the American alligator is considered the king. Wild Florida is host to over 200 gators and when you visit you will have the opportunity to see them and learn from the experts who work with them every day.
The American alligator is a fascinating reptile for many reasons:
- They are faster than you would think – An alligator can move close to 30 mph in short bursts.
- They have a blind spot – Alligators have a blind spot just in front of their nose and need to move their head side to side in order to see what is directly in front of them.
- They have a powerful bite – The bite pressure of an alligator is 19 times stronger than a human’s bite, with a bite pressure of over 16,000 newtons. They also have between 74 and 80 teeth and can go through 3,000 teeth during their lifetime.
- They can climb trees – Okay maybe not actually climb a tree, however an alligator can jump up to six feet in the air and have been known to use that jumping ability to get onto a lower branch of a tree, then climb up after their prey.
- They can swim fast – Alligators are able to swim up to 20 mph consistently and use that speed to go after aquatic prey.
These are just a few facts about the American alligator, you can learn more about them when you visit the Wild Florida Gator Park in Orlando. Along with alligators, there are sloths, lemurs, and other animals that you can learn about while touring the park grounds!