gator glands

[alan webfoot]

while fleshing a smaller gator I noticed a lump on the underneath side of the lower jaw back below the eye ,,more in the throat area,when I squeezed it out came an oily reddish yellow thick liquid,,is this how they ''mark'' their territory??

[lakejessup]

havent seen that but i have seen nodules or cyst that are about the size of a nickel at the biggest kind of grey and hard. we just cut them out. Dont know if gators "mark " their territory usually you see them postureing to other gators and it always seems the big one stays where he wants.

[Redwolf]

http://www.americaswetlandresources.com/wildlife_ecology/plants_animals_ecology/animals/reptiles/alligator.html

Olfaction (smell): Alligators have two sets of oily musk glands.  One set is at the rear of the lower jaws (used when bellowing), and the other is in the cloaca (used when head slapping).  It appears that musk is used mostly on the surface of the water, and less so in the air. The following eight elements of communication bellowing and/or head slapping) are quite variable, but predictable.  Their function may be the following:

    attract others to the courtship grounds
    aggressive signal to all others of the same sex
    give information on size, sex, and dominance of the bellower
    synchronize group activities
    define territories early in the season (there is evidence of fighting among males at this
    time).

[psycho]

Gators blow those glands out and they look like a finger or hot dog shape to put it politely protruding from under their jaws.  They are nasty smelling and from the flesh side of the hide you can cut them off easily.  If you want to blow a judges mind mount them sticking out from under the chin and when they dock you on it for being there you can tell them it's not a fish.  LMAO.....   

[alan webfoot]

I was able to squeeze all that nasty out and turn it full length ,plus thin it down before it was pickled,the teeth were not hurt at all just appeared to have a small bit of crystal like stuff stuck to it ,a rinse and a brush they're fine!

[psycho]

You sure are putting in a lot of work.  Can[t wait to see how well it turns out for you.  I think you are going to do a great job on it just by the things you are posting.  It sounds like you pay attention to detail.  Good Luck.  Dan

[lakejessup]

cool stuff thanks for the link learn something new again on here