The Other White Meat

I cannot (and would not want to) take credit for today's title. Matt and Jim concocted it while looking at Jim's photos from his recent trip to Gatorland. The photos included this one of a leucistic gator. The purists amongst you can research a more technical explanation, but basically, the difference between leucistic and albino animals involves the amount and type of pigments retained. An albino would typically have pink eyes, while this alligator's eyes are blue, making him leucistic. Neither leucistic or albino critters survive long under natural conditions, and in captivity, they must be protected from harmful UV rays.

I was reminded of these photos when Florida Cracker promised to start an all-alligator blog on April Fool's Day - and he did! His tagline is Here there be dragons - most appropriate. He also staged an elaborate April Fool's Day hoax on his Pure Florida site that centered around a purported meteor chunk landing in the back 40 of what he refers to as Pure Florida Headquarters. Well done, and worth a read. (Links are included at the bottom of this post.)

I follow the fascinating blog of an international ecotourism consultant, Megan Epler Woods. She is currently on her second trip to Bangladesh, where she is working with Government and businesses on a sustainable ecotourism plan. A recent post described some of the wildlife she has encountered (no Bengal Tigers yet) and included photos of an endangered saltwater crocodile, spotted deer, and a very odd owl. I recommend her blog to you as a wonderful glimpse of other lands and other cultures.

I'm so glad to have these other bloggers to point to, as I'm chomping at the bit to start writing about Click Ponds for my Space Coast Eco blog. Enjoy your weekend.

Gatorland: http://www.gatorland.com/gatorcam.php

Wikipedia entry on Leucism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucism

Pure Florida blog: http://www.pureflorida.blogspot.com/

Pure Alligator blog: http://www.purealligator.blogspot.com/

A Day in the Life of an Ecotourism Consultant: http://meganeplerwood.blogspot.com/

Space Coast Eco: http://www.spacecoasteco.com/