Swampland Puzzle

Nature is full of surprises. For instance, I had no idea until this weekend that dragonflies molt, leaving behind tissue-thin exoskeletons. But insect deviations pale in comparison to the orange alligator photographed sunning on the banks of a South Carolina pond earlier this year.

One scientist theorized the stain may have come from naturally occurring sediment in some waterway. Another observed that if the pigment were only skin deep, the gator's color would be back to normal in two weeks.

To my knowledge, no one ever posted a follow-up photo, giving us the rest of the story. I guess we will never know.



Swampland Puzzle


An alligator lazes
Bankside of a Carolinian canal.
Carrot-color reptile.

A herpetology head-scratcher.

Rusty from culvert creeping?
Too many sweet potato pies?
A hoodoo spell? Toxins?

If it's not easy being green,
This change to tangerine
Begs for attention, wanted or not.

Could be it's a temporary tint,
Disappearing like the odd press item
Found on slow news days.

Or, maybe, it's permanent
And swampers will mark the trophy.



Marilyn Aschoff Mellor