"Cuddles" Because he's a Boa Constrictor, get it? Gatorland is fun.
After the Rasslin show, it was feeding time. No, not us - the gators. As part of the ticket package we bought, we each got a pack of "gator food" On our way over to pick up the food, we ran into another of Gatorland's fun signs.
So, what exactly do you feed gators? Turkey dogs. As part of the combo ticket (or available for purchase for $2 a pack) you got 4 Jumbo Turkey Hot Dogs. They recommend you split them in halves or quarters and you can toss them to any gators on the property. We took our turkey dogs over to one pool of gators and began to toss. You've got to watch out, because as one of the earlier signs warned, the birds are watching. And swooping. And hungry.
But if you do get the throw out before they snatch it, you've got to aim to the side of the gator's head. Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads, so they have a blind spot directly in front of them. If you throw the gator food directly at them, it just smacks them right between the eyes. And if you think that's funny - you'd be right. Very, very right.
Evan with the wind up...and the throw.
The key was to throw the dogs just to the side of their heads. That way, they can see them coming and snatch them out of midair. And if you do it right, you throw it right between two and watch them fight for it.
After we tossed all of our dogs, we headed over to the Gatorland Jumparoo Show Ring. According to the blurb on the map, the Jumparoo is the show that made Gatorland famous. Yes, even more so than the Rasslin show.
The Jumparoo is a competition between -
wait for it - Bubba and Cletus - to see who could make a gator jump the highest out of the water.
These two Mensa-grade PhD candidates warmed up the gators with some strips of beef that they carried in their pockets. You know, like everyone does.
I've seen some brave birds before, but this one has some real stones.
I supposed if you're going to fight another animal for a scrap of beef, it might as well be another bird. But keep in mind, that bird just took it from a gator. I don't think I'd be fighting that bird if were you.
Eventually the show got going. And yes, it was full of comedy and schtick just as you would expect a Gatorland show to be. But it was also full of gators jumping out of the water after pieces of chicken.
Those buggers can jump high!
The kids had a front row seat and were eating it all up. Not literally. The chicken was raw.
During the show, not every gator a piece of chicken. Luckily, some tall chickens just wandered down by the water's edge. Seriously, the birds around this place are either very, very brave or very, very stupid.
We then had lunch at their snack bar. Pretty decent food, too. Hot dogs, brats, wraps, sandwiches, etc. And better yet, it was all cooked.
After lunch, we wandered over to the area of the park where they had other animals. Such as giant tortoises.
We then left before the awkward questions began.
It's funny because gators eat their food raw instead of cooking it. And the hat. The hat is funny too.
Another awesome Gatorland sign:
(If you can't read it, it says "Train Crossing. You can beat the train, or the train can beat you. Tying the train, however, will ruin your day")
We crossed the tracks and headed over to the breading marsh, a large pond full of gators that is also a local wildlife preserve.
In addition to alligators, the marsh had some crocodiles as well. You can tell the difference because the crocodiles have longer, narrower snouts. Class dismissed!
There is a raised boardwalk around one edge of the marsh that leads to the observation tower. Want a helpful hint? Stay on the boardwalk.
Coming Up Next In Bambi's own words: "Easily the dumbest thing I've done in my entire life" (Yes, this is what I've been teasing ever since I started the Gatorland section of this TR.)
I need to stay tuned for this. I also need to figure out how you figure in all of this. 
