Gators Rock!

I came across this over at the Jungle Trader and immediately thought of Jimbo over at Parkway Rest Stop.

HOW ALLIGATORS ROCK AND ROLL

Without a ripple in the water, alligators dive, surface or roll sideways, even though they lack flippers or fins. University of Utah biologists discovered gators maneuver silently by using their diaphragm, pelvic, abdominal and rib muscles to shift their lungs like internal floatation devices: toward the tail when they dive, toward the head when they surface and sideways when they roll.

It sounds like a fascinating study of the maneuverability of the alligator and may have implications for many other critters, including, obviously, crocs.

"It allows them to navigate a watery environment without creating a lot of disturbance," says doctoral student T.J. Uriona. "This is probably really important while they are trying to sneak up on an animal but don't want to create ripples."

The discovery in American alligators suggests "special muscles that manipulate the position of the lungs - and thus the center of buoyancy - may be an underappreciated but important means for other aquatic animals to maneuver in water without actively swimming," says C.G. Farmer, an assistant professor of biology.

I suggest you go over and read the rest. (Don’t worry Jimbo, there are no pictures.)

By the way, you’ll notice the people doing this research—and, I therefore assume, knowing a great deal about alligators—are from the University of UTAH! (Although, as the article mentions, they did travel to Louisiana to conduct the study.)