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GATOR DOG |
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 Fields of sawgrass grow in wetlands. © David Muenker |
When she looked closely, she could see that the blades of grass had sharp edges like knives. And the sawgrass was growing in water, not on firm ground. In fact, it was growing in a shallow river. The water was only about a foot deep but it stretched as far as Sonya could see.
"Phew! I need to pay close attention to what I'm doing."
Farther into the park, she took a boardwalk that led deep into a low, thick forest.
"P. U.! This place stinks!" she woofed.
The smell reminded her of the vet's office when a room had just been scrubbed clean. "That can't be possible here," she thought as she sniffed the tree trunks growing out of the water.
The bark on the trees was moving. Sonya blinked her eyes, then looked again. The bark moved in waves, like the air above a street when it's really hot. She stared at it up close. Yes, it was moving! Hundreds of tiny creatures scurried sideways up and down the tree trunks.
 Sonya meets a crab in the mangroves. © Ravay Snow 2005 |
"I'm a crab, silly," it said clicking its claws.
"It sure is stinky here!"
"It smells like sweet perfume to us! That's the aroma of plants and critters decomposing in the water," the crab huffed.
"And why do these trees have legs? Where are they going?"
Dozens of crabs laughed at Sonya. "Where are you from? The moon?" one snickered.
"Be nice!" commanded the older crab. "These trees are called mangroves. Their nickname is 'walking trees' because their roots look like they're stepping out into the water. They are really important to us."
"Sure are!" chimed a chorus of crabs.
"Mangroves are our home and garden. Everything we need to survive is right here. The fish like them, too. The legs of the trees create a safe place for baby fish to swim and grow up, like a kiddy pool."
 "Walking trees," or mangroves. © David Muenker |
The crabs erupted into a mad scurry as they trembled with fear. "We've never seen him, but we've heard stories."
"I want to meet him," Sonya barked bravely.
"You're crazy! He eats animals your size for lunch!"
"I'll keep my distance. I promise."
"Well, if you'll be careful. I've heard that King Alligator cruises the waters deeper in the park. The birds will know where he is. They see everything that's going on."
"Where's the best place to find the birds?"
"At Eco Pond. They like to hang there together in the evening."
"Thanks! I'd better get going before it gets dark."
Waving their claws, the crabs bid farewell as Sonya dashed down the boardwalk in search of the birds.
To be continued…
In the next issue, Sonya goes on a wild goose chase.
Note: This story is fiction based on fact.
Go to Sonya's Picks for links to websites about alligators.
Read a non-fiction article about Everglades National Park.
See how many words you know on the Word Match.
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Photographs ©2005-2008 David Muenker. Text ©2005-2008 Rose Muenker. Illustrations ©2005-2008 Ravay Snow Any use without express written permission is illegal and punishable by law. All rights reserved. Site designed and developed by Josh Bergman. |
