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It has been quite a few decades but a native alligator once went up the South Canadian river, almost into Norman, OK (home of the FAMOUS OU football team and southern suburb of OKC.)

There is still an indiginous population of native alligators in the SE corner of OKlahoma (real close to Louisiana.) A lot of folks pooh pooh the idea of alligators in Oklahoma but they are here, living relics of the triassic period and more closely related to modern birds than modern reptiles and lizards. The males get up to 12-15 feet and females more like 10 ft. In top form one of these suckers can run on land at speeds of 20mph for moderate distances. I can't do that anymore.

Recent newspaper excerpt:

BROKEN ARROW
Gator Makes Home at Housing Development

13 days ago - A new housing development near Broken Arrow has an unwanted resident - a 4-foot alligator. Three eyewitnesses have reported encountering the reptile around the westernmost retention pond of the development in the northern part of the city."I got to look at one," said Tom Chatterton. "He eased up to the surface, waited 15 to 20 seconds and then went back down.

Somehow reality doesn't encroach very much on most folks preconceived opinions of Oklahoma. Many get their facts from stories like, "The Grapes of Wrath." ...but there weren't any black bears in "Grapes of Wrath!" Yeah and there wasn't an "old folks home" for asian elephants either but we have one where they are free to wander a lot.

I gota go now, gota git with with Tater and Gater to go noodlin'.

Pat

"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"

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