Subtitle (37)
0:01Winter and early spring is Florida's dry
0:06With almost no rain and a baking sun,
0:10water levels here reach their lowest.
0:13And there's a strange sound in the air.
0:31Male alligators are bellowing.
0:50to find each other in this vast expanse
0:56They vibrate their larynx to let out
1:06Low frequency sounds inaudible to human
1:09hearing make the water dance.
1:20It tells other alligators how big and
1:26and can be heard over a kilometer away.
1:34The sound wards off competitors
1:41and hopefully attracts a mate.
1:50Females can be quick to respond,
2:01but they're not always quick to pick a
2:12They lead males on a merry dance
2:16before finally deciding he's the one.
2:25The wooing can last for days
2:30with couples mating multiple times.
2:44going their separate ways,
2:50the males might partner again,
2:56but females now turn their attention to
3:03in just a month's time. It needs to be
3:06ready for their eggs.
3:11Alligators are so successful here.
3:14They've dominated this landscape for
3:18But now their freshwater habitat is
3:21under serious threat.
