Gators Bellowing Right Next To Me!

Sorry for the crappy sound quality, my phone is a little busted!
Bellowing, as heard and seen in this video taken on the Cane Pole Trail at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, is a territorial call made by both female and male alligators. It’s most often performed during the mating season, which is in mid spring, but also can be heard year round.
A bellow communicates the size of the bellowing gator to the others around it. Females will listen for males that produce a deeper, more resonant call than others- because that means a larger male. Males will listen to the bellows around them to avoid encounters with a larger (and thus dangerous) male. The resonance frequency of an alligator corresponds with the length of the vocal tract- so, the sound is an indicator of size.
Males cause the water over their backs to dance from the vibrations produced during their calls. Sub-audible vibrations cause this “water dance” and only males produce it.
Tour the Okefenokee Swamp with me: www.okefenokee-satilla.com