Alligator - pond life

Today was warm and Mr. Gator came out of the deep mud (mud is that orange color on him). Gators are cold-blooded and cannot tolerate extreme temperatures. They dig into the earth pond bottom and make dens where they rest during very hot or cold days. I don't think I've seen this gator before, it is smaller then the others. He watched me but did not swim away.
The ridges on the back of the alligator are little spikes made by a piece of bone in that section of skin.