Our naturalistic
enclosure for our alligator and cohabitant, map turtle (maybe just a map turtle...but this little guy is just too darn funny to ignore...) hopefully will be
finished on the weekend of January 20. We may have to extend it a little longer if certain materials don't work
out the way we would have hoped, as we are trying a few different techniques
and ideas with this construction. This
is more or less a test run for our planned enclosure that we will begin
construction on in the summer of 2008. While the current construction is made out of concrete, the new
construction will be made out of fiberglass resin and it will be approximately
2 to three times the size of the current construction the current enclosure is
approximately 40 to 50 ft.² of space for the alligator and map turtle, it has a
custom filtration system with a magnum pond pump a pre-filter which runs into
the main filter and then routes back into the opposite end of the enclosure. This current construction will feature a deep
area of approximately 2' x 3' and approximately 12 to 14 inches deep at the mid
point. About
one third of the enclosure
or perhaps even as close as one half will be covered in a very shallow water
area that will range from 1 inch to 6 inches of water this will provide a
seeming marshy area for both the alligator and a turtle. This new construction will also feature two
sides made exclusively out of acrylic so one
could see any specimen in the
enclosure under the water as well. When the alligator in this current enclosure
will be transferred to his new home in the summer this will feature a great
place for our alligator snappers. More
updates soon...
-PR-
