Healthy gator in East Manatee pond

A large alligator, by anybody's standards, floats motionless along the shoreline of a retention pond in East Manatee. Several shorebirds ventured close to the awaiting reptile, but not close enough to be invited for dinner. An adult American alligator will average a little more than 11 feet long and exceptionally large males can weigh nearly 1,000 pounds, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo website. The moderan reptile can live for half a century or more in the wild and has been around more than 80 million years. GRANT JEFFERIES/Bradenton Herald

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 11:21 PM with the headline "Healthy gator in East Manatee pond ."