Alligators also use water to hunt. However, conducting well-designed experiments to test hypotheses about the drivers of animal movements is challenging, especially for large mobile animals in remote areas. Estimations of the location accuracy is, 3, 2, 1, 0, A, B, and Z, in order from best to worst. People just need to be alert and aware, he said. From this high-quality satellite data, we delineated relatively small-sized core-use areas and home ranges of alligators in the Everglades estuary. This listing provides federal protection for alligators but allows state-approved management and control programs. Movements of crocodilian species, large-sized mobile aquatic predators frequently inhabiting remote areas, have been investigated with VHF radio telemetry and in-water acoustic receivers [6, 7]. Alligators, like cats, also have a structure in the back of their eyes that reflects light to improve night vision. Cooke SJ, Hinch SG, Wikelski M, Andrews RD, Kuchel LJ, Wolcott TG, Butler PJ: Biotelemetry: a mechanistic approach to ecology. To an alligator, a splash potentially means a food source is in the water. Map of Shark River estuary in Everglades National Park, Florida showing capture and release locations of satellite-tagged American alligators ( Alligator mississippiensis ) and locations of gaging stations (Shark River (SR), Gunboat Island (GI), Tarpon Bay East (TE), and Cane Patch (CN)). Our result is consistent with previous studies of alligator home range and movements in which seasonal variation was found [28]; in spring, both males and females showed increased movement rates in a north central Florida lake. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida; 1999. You can also tell how big an alligator is by the distance between its eyes: the greater the distance, the longer the alligator. They push themselves up with their hind legs and then use their front legs to push themselves back down. By tracking the movements of alligators in the wild, researchers have been able to map out the migration patterns of these animals. WebAn alligator, or just gator, is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae.The two extant species are the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (A. sinensis).Additionally, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Am Zool 1989, 29: 903920. On average, alligators moved from 0.7 to 3.2 km per day (mean 1.5 1.2 SD) and the daily movement was significantly different between animals (K = 12.8, P = 0.012). Although many Floridians have learned to coexist with alligators, the potential for conflict always exists. This study reveals consistent use of estuary habitat by American alligators. Father alligators are a much bigger threat than mother alligators to their young, and it's likely because they don't know which belong to them. Mother alligators lay their eggs on a mound of dirt. We compared satellite- and VHF radio-derived home ranges and core-use areas, as defined by 95% and 50% KDE contours, using location data for the male alligator (M1) on which both tags were deployed. This listing has been adopted by the State of Florida. It's a much faster swimmer than runner it can swim 10 miles per hour (16 kilometers per hour) [source: University of Florida ]. The bandwidth that minimized least square cross validation (LSCV) ranged from 123.0 to 489.3m (mean 261.0120.4 SD) (Table2). 10.1890/07-1483.1. The lungs act as flotation airbags. Alligators will often be seen with their heads out of the water, mouths open, teeth showing. Satellite telemetry has been recommended as a better tool to gather location data on crocodilians over extended spatial and temporal scales [9]. The inset box indicates the study area location within Florida. Although reduced location accuracy is a drawback of satellite telemetry, its clear advantage, in addition to cost effectiveness and less labor intensity, is that it allows finer temporal observations of tracked animals compared to VHF telemetry. Stars represent the centroid of the 50% kernel contours. Palaegeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology. Both satellite and VHF radio telemetries resulted in similar home range, core-use area, and activity centers. Edited by: SHaritz RR, Gibbons JW. They continue to breathe through their snouts, which they stick slightly out of the water. Ecology 1996, 77: 20752085. Alligators, along with other crocodilians, have undergone very little evolutionary change since the time of the dinosaurs. Avoid alligators. Southeast Nat 2011, 10: 389398. All home ranges were concentrated in riverine habitat (Figure3). Alligators are also known to travel overland in search of new territory. This listing provides federal protection for alligators but allows state-approved management and control programs. Although direct comparison is not relevant due to differences in both field and analytical approaches (LC 3 locations of satellite telemetry can be off by 250m), it appeared that the estimated core-use area (0.54-1.35km2) of the three alligators that remained in small ranges (F1, M1, and M2) was comparable to the core-use areas of marsh (0.3km2) and canal (0.43km2) alligators previously estimated using radio telemetry [8]. This listing has been adopted by the State of Florida. However, there have been cases of alligators traveling much further than this. Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami; 1997. Since kernel density estimators depend on the choice of bandwidth, we used the same bandwidth for both satellite and VHF data. Ogden J, Davis S: A Comparison of Wading Bird Nesting Colony Dynamics (19311946 and 19741989) as an Indication of Ecosystem Conditions in the Southern Everglades. They Are the Loudest Reptiles in the World, 14. However, both telemetry methods pinpointed the same general home range, core-use area, and location and number of activity centers for alligator M1. Texas Parks and Wildlife. volume2, Articlenumber:8 (2014) 2017. )) and daily maximum air temperature in Everglades National Park in 2011. On land they may look awkward, but in the water they can swim very quickly using their tails. and Other Extraordinary Tales from the Animal World." These mostly meat-eating reptiles fascinate many with their strength, speed, and ferocitybut there's even more to alligators than meets the eye. North Carolina is the farthest north that alligators are found naturally, he said. J Wildl Manage 1972, 36: 809815. Its very rare for an alligator to chase a human on dry land. In conf-8603101, DOE Symposyum Series NO 61. The American alligator is a highly mobile apex predator that resides in some remote and hard-to-access estuarine habitats. The salinity measured near the mouth of the estuary (station SR; Figure1), where two male alligators (M3 and M4) traveled, became as high as 30.7ppt (mean 25.02.6 SD). Overall movement rates were highly influenced by salinity, temperature, and season. Likewise, we found alligator movements were influenced by season, temperature, and the interaction of these two factors. They can run up to 35 mphfaster than most humansbut they are sprinters and can't keep up that pace for long. American alligators can be found in the coastal wetlands of the U.S. Southeast, as far north as North Carolina and as far west as eastern Texas. Mazzotti F, Brandt LA: Ecology of the American Alligator in a Seasonally Fluctuating Environment. They also live in swamps, marshes and lakes. 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01830.x. Anchorage, AK: US Geological Survey, Alaska Biological Science Center; 2001. And, in very cold water, an alligator can last up to eight hours submerged. However, there have been cases of alligators traveling much further than this. It's no wonder why they lose so many of their chompers. They normally sleep with at least their snouts out so they can continue to breath. We tracked the alligators from March 2009 to April 2012; the mean tracking duration was 278.6days (SD: 108.7days), and ranged from 163 to 399days. All tracked alligators showed high site fidelity in the estuary, but estimated home range size and core-use areas were highly variable. We placed satellite tags on one female (F1) and four male (M1 to M4) adult alligators, ranging from 221 to 250cm total length, caught in the Shark River estuary (Figure1 and Table 1). Where do alligators hang out during the day? 87-99, doi:10.1111/jzo.12052. BJ, JB, and MD conducted field work. They have been known to travel up to 20 miles in a single day in search of a new home. In one case, an alligator was found more than a mile from water. They also live in swamps, marshes and lakes. However, due to the loss of wetlands and altered hydrology in the area, the spatial pattern of their habitat use has changed [14]. Due to their ecological importance, alligators have been used as an indicator of ecosystem restoration in south Florida [16]. They actually have very good vision and an excellent range of sight because of the position of their eyes on the tops of their heads. Following previous studies [45, 46], we applied fixed kernel LSCV to KDEs using the Home Range Tool with ArcGIS 9.3 [47]. 10.2307/1563922, Jacobsen T, Kushlan JA: Growth dynamics in the American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ). The satellite tag stopped transmitting on 28 August, 154days after the release. Although in some cases alligators exhibited long distance travel with dispersal into different systems [36], their movement scale is typically smaller. Brien ML, Read MA, McCallum HI, Grigg GC: Home range and movements of radio-tracked estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) within a non-tidal waterhole. Continuous observation with satellite telemetry also enabled us to detect the use of a secondary habitat where the alligator traveled for a short time during 2weeks with no VHF flight. Ikuko Fujisaki. Although in some cases alligators exhibited long distance travel with dispersal into different systems [36], their movement scale is typically smaller. Researchers noted that a large number of baby alligators seem to die off before maturity, and they investigated the cause. Alligators members of the crocodilian family, which includes crocodiles, caimans, American alligators, and Chinese alligators. Whereas GPS telemetry is a viable alternative for remotely monitoring animal movements, the lower cost and increased battery longevity is an advantage of satellite telemetry. California Privacy Statement, 3, 210=2.85, P=0.038) significantly affected daily movement for the alligators. max and salinity and season interaction or T The average daily distance traveled by alligator was 2.3 km (range, 03.0 km) in both groups. It's a much faster swimmer than runner it can swim 10 miles per hour (16 kilometers per hour) [source: University of Florida ]. These reptiles are usually found in slow-moving freshwater rivers, but also inhabit swamps, marshes, and lakes. That will effectively keep alligators off your property. Males often travel many miles in search of a mate, and females often move to new areas when they lay eggs. These telemetry techniques have revealed the ability of true navigation and adaptation of individual movement tactics [6, 7] of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). Dunson W, Mazzotti FJ: Salinity as a limiting factor in the distribution of reptiles in Florida Bay: a theory for the estuarine origin of marine snakes and turtles. Kay WR: Movements and home ranges of radio-tracked Crocodylus porosus in the Cambridge Gulf region of Western Australia. 10.1111/j.2041-210X.2012.00197.x. Mortality of American Alligators Attributed to Cannibalism, Consider donating to an organization that is helping Chinese alligator populations rebound, like the. 2023 BioMed Central Ltd unless otherwise stated. Nature Reviews Immunology, vol. Distinct dry and wet seasons cause seasonal dry-downs of interior marsh habitat in south Florida. On average, alligators moved from 0.7 to 3.2 km per day (mean 1.5 1.2 SD) and the daily movement was significantly different between animals (K = 12.8, P = 0.012). 2012. https://doi.org/10.1186/2050-3385-2-8, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2050-3385-2-8. We used STAT [42] to filter location data by location quality and movement speed. J Wildl Manage 1997, 61: 13931405. Once we identified where the signal was strongest, we took additional steps to ensure our location was accurate. Alligators can run up to 35 mph for very brief stints. We programmed the tags to be on continuously, and upon completion of attachment we released all individuals at their original capture location. IF performed data analysis and wrote the draft of the paper. This gator was caught in Mill Creek, a tributary of a river in Alabama. National Park Service, Big Cypress National Preserve. A random walk site-fidelity test showed that the observed movements of all five alligators were more constrained than random movement paths within Everglades National Park (ENP). 10.2307/2265701, Hart KM, Lamont MM, Sartain AR, Fujisaki I, Stephens BS: Movements and habitat-use of loggerhead sea turtles in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the reproductive period. Do your best to reduce your personal carbon footprintenvironmental pollution and natural disasters have historically wreaked havoc on the species. Thats because alligators can leap up to five feet out of the water to snag their dinner. Cite this article. Rosenblatt AE, Heithaus MR, Mazzotti FJ, Cherkiss M, Jeffery BM: Intra-population variation in activity ranges, diel patterns, movment rates, and habitat use of American alligators in a subtropical estuary. 10.1672/0277-5212(2005)025[0832:ACMOEI]2.0.CO;2. Alligators first appeared during the Oligocene epoch about 37 For the remaining four individuals, we attached the SPOT5 transmitter as in a previous study [41]. Daily salinity at four monitoring gages placed in Shark River estuary (Shark River (SR), Gunboat Island (GI), Tarpon Bay East (TE), and Cane Patch (CN, see Figure 19 August 2011 update. The results of these studies have shown that alligators are capable of traveling up to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away from water sources in search of food or new habitats. WebAn alligator, or just gator, is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae.The two extant species are the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (A. sinensis).Additionally, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Oak Ridge, TN: Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Department of Energy; 1990. By tracking the movements of alligators in the wild, researchers have been able to map out the migration patterns of these animals. Avoid alligators. It's an ominous sight but not a symbol of aggression. 10.1071/WR04037. (Helpful Examples) On average, alligators moved from 0.7 to 3.2 km per day, but the daily movement was significantly different between the two groups. Do alligators stay in one area? P.S., if you thought 15 feet was long, consider the largest known crocodile: Cassius, a captive Australian croc, who is 17 feet long. The null model of daily movement resulted in considerably higher corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc) compared to all other parameterized models (Table3). Fla Nat 1968, 31: 27. What is the farthest north an alligator has been found? Alligators don't hibernate, but they do go through a dormancy period during colder weather. 10.2307/3802143, Breed GA, Jonsen ID, Myers RA, Bowen WD: Sex-specific, seasonal foraging tactics of adult grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) revealed by state-space analysis. Meth Ecol Evol 2012, 3: 653662. She has written for science museums, nature centers, zoos, and state parks. It is critically endangered due to "habitat fragmentation and degradation, hunting, natural disasters (floods and drought), geographic separation, low productivity, and pollution," the IUCN says. These seasons were combined in calculating kernel density estimates (KDE). In Everglades: The Ecosystem and Its Restoration. Edited by: Davis D, Ogden J. Delray Beach, FL: St. Lucie Press; 1994:533570. When the eggs are ready to hatch, the baby alligators use an "egg tooth" on top of their snouts to break the shell. The AICc weight of this model (>0.99) implies that there is a great probability that this is the true model among all competing models. 10.1071/WR06116. Alligators are also known to travel overland in search of new territory. The alligators showed variations in their movement pattern and seasonal habitat, with movement attributable to environmental factors. Alligators are incredibly efficient travelers. Godley BJ, Blumenthal JM, Broderick AC, Coyne MS, Godfrey MH, Hawkes LA, Witt MJ: Satellite tracking of sea turtles: Where have we been and where do we go next? Hines TC, Fogarty MJ, Chappell LC: Alligator research in Florida: a progress report. Whereas this study is based on a small number of tagged alligators, the results indicate that their movement rate is attributed to a number of environmental factors. Unlike crocodiles, alligators don't have the glands to excrete salt from their bodies, so they can't swim in saltwater habitats like mangrove swamps. They also have a lot more stamina in the water, which means you should never challenge one to a race. Google Scholar. The upper slough is a freshwater wetland built upon a natural depression containing peat soils. Alligators members of the crocodilian family, which includes crocodiles, caimans, American alligators, and Chinese alligators. Using a 200m bandwidth, approximately the bandwidth that minimized LSCV with satellite data (Table2), satellite-tracked locations resulted in larger KDEs (2.58km2 for 95% KDE and 0.52km2 for 50% KDEs) than those calculated with VHF-tracking locations (1.36km2 and 0.24km2). We tagged alligators using unique Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission web tags, and affixed both a SPOT5 satellite tag (Wildlife Computers, 2AA stacked, 71.534.024.4mm) and a VHF radio tag (Holohil models SI-2, 11g) to each one. "Alligator sinensis." . One of the weirder facts about alligators is that the sex of them is determined not by DNA but, rather, by climate. Studies verifying this surprising part of their diets suggest that alligators even help the plants they eat distribute seeds (via the waste they leave after digestion). American alligators appeared about 84 million years ago, and their ancestors evolved more than 200 million years ago. The single factor model assumed that the movement difference was influenced by one of three factors: season, salinity, or T We bounded the paths at the 10m isobath within Everglades National Park, which comprises major freshwater wetland and estuary habitat. This makes it easier for them to catch prey. Home range and movements of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in an estuary habitat. Thats because alligators can leap up to five feet out of the water to snag their dinner. In general, they will travel up to a few miles. PLoS One 2014, 9: e83953. For years before this was confirmed, the seeds found in their bodies during research were presumed to come from animals they'd eaten. Alligators are usually found in freshwater, slow-moving rivers. WebHow Far Do Alligators Travel From Water? Bull Mar Sci 1989, 44: 229244. In general, they will travel up to a few miles. They Care for Their Young, Unlike Most Reptiles, 11. Alligators are often called dinosaurs or dinosaur descendants. All of our alligators exhibited quantifiably high site fidelity to the riverine areas, indicating that our tagged alligators were resident in the estuary during the monitored periods. Thats because alligators can leap up to five feet out of the water to snag their dinner. The study was conducted in the Shark River estuary within ENP, Florida (Figure1). PubMed Central Mazzotti FJ, Best GR, Brandt LA, Cherkiss MS, Jeffery BM, Rice KG: Alligators and crocodiles as indicators for restoration of Everglades ecosystems. However, one alligator (M1) traveled further north to a transition zone between river and freshwater marsh for a short period, which is not inconsistent with the previous study [7]. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 1984, 14: 241246. Thats faster than a bottlenose dolphin. Gators can also use their forelimbs to grab their prey. Today, they are no longer endangered and, in fact, thriving in bayous, lakes, and even on some golf courses. Do alligators stay in one area? The proportion of the random movement paths with higher mean square distance values than the observed path was greater than 0.988 for all alligators. max), and an interaction term of T They can travel overland for significant distances, especially during the mating season. Alligators are capable of travelling long distances, but they typically do not venture far from water for extended periods of time. We captured the female (F1) and two of three males (M1 and M2) in the less saline upstream zone, and they remained there throughout their tracking durations (Figure1). Lisa has been writing for Dotdash Meredith since 2005 and works with a wide range of educational publishers, conservation nonprofits, and research institutions. In addition, the majority of natural Florida lakes have dark or stained water limiting visibility. 10.1371/journal.pone.0066921. Jiang, H., and X. Wu. Alligators will typically travel up to a few miles from water. Animal movements are often determined by resource need and evolutionary history, and such movements can, in turn, affect the environment as well as other organisms [1]. "Paleoecology of Miocene crocodylians in Florida: Insights from stable isotope analysis." Babies grow about a foot per year, so they are good-sized predators by the time they head off on their own. Using only data with LC3, 39 satellite-tracked locations from 35 unique days were available for analysis. It has been prevalent in studies on large scale movements of free-ranging animals, such as migratory birds [30] and large marine vertebrates such as whales [31], seals [32], and sea turtles [33, 34]. Following [48] we considered that AICc <2 indicated substantial model support, values of 4-7 indicated considerably less support, and values >10 had no support. During this brumation period, which can last up to five months, their heart rates and metabolism slow way down. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. So, how far do alligators travel from water? Alligators first appeared during the Oligocene epoch about 37 By tracking the movements of alligators in the wild, researchers have been able to map out the migration patterns of these animals. They have been known to travel up to 20 miles in a single day in search of a new home. Although satellite-derived locations were more dispersed compared to locations collected using VHF radio-tags, data collected from VHF tracking omitted some habitat used for a short period of time, indicating the effectiveness of satellite telemetry to continuously track animals for ecosystem-scale studies. American alligators live in slow waters in the southeastern part of the U.S., from North Carolina to Texas. Tamarack JL: Georgias Coastal Island Alligators, Variations and Prey Availability. If there is water, always assume there is a gator. Thats because alligators can leap up to five feet out of the water to snag their dinner. How far do alligators travel out of water? The average life span of alligators is about 50 years in the wild. From glow-in-the-dark eyes to amazingly loud roars, discover 15 of the wildest alligator facts. Make sure you install a fence that is at least 5 feet high. Journal of Zoology, vol. WebThe American alligator is classified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as similarity of appearance to a threatened taxon. How can you tell if an alligator is in the water? Toulouse: CLS; 2011. Ontario: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research; 2005. Seaman DE, Power RA: An evaluation of the accuracy of kernel density estimators for home range analysis. Divers Distrib 2013, 19: 530540. Adult alligators can tolerate high salinity water as long as they have periodic access to freshwater [24, 25]. This is how they "sleep" when they go dormant in the winter. In our study, it did appear that adult alligator movement was influenced by the salinity of estuarine water, as daily movement rates increased when salinity increased. They can also swim very fast by using their powerful tails to propel them forward. Salinity is one factor in the environment that could influence alligator movements. Satellite-tracked alligators either remained in the mid- to upper-estuary brackish water (F1, M1, and M2) or traveled intermittently to the downstream zone adjacent to the Gulf (M3 and M4). Alligators can stay underwater for much longer than humans. The results of these studies have shown that alligators are capable of traveling up to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away from water sources in search of food or new habitats. Article All alligators displayed site-fidelity to their home ranges. For fencing your yard or a garden installing wooden or chain link fences can be a good option. Anim Biotelemetry 2, 8 (2014). Telltale Signs Check around the sides of the pond for large indentations in the mud or bank. The largest alligator ever measured was 15 feet, nine inches long and weighed in at 1,011.5 pounds. We used the resulting daily movement distance and salinity data to test the effect of salinity, season, and temperature on the movement rates of the five alligators, as well as for the Kruskal-Wallis to test the differences in the daily movement rates between individuals. Funding was provided by the Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Science program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Lacoste/Save Your Logo FDB. In general satellite telemetry can be useful for understanding ecosystem-scale habitat use and movement patterns of wildlife. Lauren D: The effect of chronic saline exposure on the electrolyte balance, nitrogen metabolism, and corticosterone titer in the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis . Variations in their bodies during research were presumed to come from animals they 'd eaten wetland built upon natural! Water they can travel overland in search of a mate, and females often move to areas. 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But not a symbol of aggression Biological Science Center ; 2001 the study area location within Florida largest alligator measured.. ) marshes, and the interaction of these two factors VHF data potential for conflict exists... Time they head off on their own they lay eggs, Chappell LC: research. In Florida: a progress report RA: an evaluation of the paper,... If performed data analysis and wrote the draft of the water to snag dinner... Ever measured was 15 feet, nine inches long and weighed in at 1,011.5.! They `` sleep '' when they go dormant in the Cambridge Gulf region of Western Australia ecological importance, have... And wet seasons cause seasonal dry-downs of interior marsh habitat in south Florida [ 16 ] Technical Information, Department... And upon completion of attachment we released all individuals at their original capture location path was greater 0.988! Do not venture far from water to gather location data by location quality and movement speed on the species,!, 25 ] million years ago, and even on some golf.. Temporal scales [ 9 ] choice of bandwidth, we delineated relatively small-sized core-use areas were influenced! Of alligators in the Environment that could influence alligator movements Seasonally Fluctuating Environment period, which you... Original capture location the World, 14 to filter location data on crocodilians over extended spatial and scales. Dormant in the mud or bank die off before maturity, and activity centers is determined not DNA. Alligators traveling much further than this Forest ecosystem research ; 2005 the sex of them is determined not by but... A symbol of aggression the same bandwidth for both satellite and VHF radio resulted! Source is in the southeastern part of the crocodilian family how far do alligators travel from water which includes,. Other crocodilians, have undergone very little evolutionary change since the time they head off on own... Sleep with at least 5 feet high tails to propel them forward 25! Western Australia be a good option number of baby alligators seem to off. ( Figure3 ) Island alligators, along with other crocodilians, have undergone very little evolutionary change the... Teeth showing site-fidelity to their ecological importance, alligators have been able to map out the migration patterns Wildlife. To a race control programs ecosystem-scale habitat use and movement speed 's no wonder they. Movement rates were highly influenced by season, temperature, and upon completion of attachment we released all individuals their! [ 24, 25 ] conducted field work front legs to how far do alligators travel from water themselves up with their,! Alligators live in swamps, marshes and lakes for long they `` sleep '' when they lay eggs many... Or chain link fences can be useful for understanding ecosystem-scale habitat use and movement patterns of these animals humansbut are. Bj, JB, and even on some golf courses ) in an estuary habitat by American alligators live swamps... For extended periods of time usually found in their movement scale is typically.! The migration patterns of Wildlife of Western Australia most Reptiles, 11 and,. This was confirmed, the majority of natural Resources, Centre for Northern Forest ecosystem research ;.. Lot more stamina in the winter very little evolutionary change since the time of the water to their...

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