Found A New Friend
The momma alligators in the swamp have been bringing their babies out for a few weeks now. Once they grow a tiny bit older, mom will leave them alone at times.
This little guy found himself a comfy spot that had a ray of morning sun peeking through. It didn’t take long for his special secret to be discovered by one of the local turtles. The little gator didn’t mind at all though, in fact he seemed pleased to have already found himself a new friend.
Most everyone appears happy that a small slice of Spring is beginning to show up!
Phil Lanoue Photography 
Cool!!
Thanks for checking it out!
Would they normally be buddies or is this just a youthful encounter?
I think mostly just a youthful encounter for the little alligator. I doubt he even knows what the turtle is. But as long as there’s no aggression, they’ll be no issues. Right now, just staying mostly still will work until the turtle leaves.
This is so cute, Phil! Will the turtle still be safe as they get older, or will the alligator look on it as prey? So good to see the first signs of Spring! Hope you and Alyce are fine.
By the time this alligator grows to an older, mature animal, certainly by the time it’s 8-10 feet long, the turtle could likely be looked at as lunch. BUT, these turtle shells are very hard and I’ve seen even large alligators try, but eventually be unable to crack the shell and leave them be.
What a terrific photo, Phil. I’ve recently seen a few alligators poking their noses into the sunshine, and a turtle basking here and there, but this is a pairing I never would have expected. On the other hand, I once photographed a dragonfly perched on a gator’s nose; the gator didn’t care, and I suspect the dragonfly didn’t know it wasn’t on a rock!
This was a fun pair to see and photograph. What I wanted to see but missed was one or more of the babies sitting on momma gator’s head. This one here is probably too old for baby play. Nice to capture the dragonfly on the alligator nose, it’s amazing how much an alligator is able to ignore. A bird could walk on an alligator and if circumstances are right, no issues.
Great photos, Phil. The turtle looks so happy to have found a friend.
I wonder how long does it take for a baby alligator to grow to a big one.