Common Questions
Is that an Eel?
Probably not, so we’ll take a closer look. Does the animal you are looking at have legs, and if so, how many? The amphiuma looks like an eel, but is actually an aquatic salamander. It has 4 very small legs, each with two toes. The siren, also an aquatic salamander, has 2 legs. Does the animal have external gills? Gills are what help some animals breathe under water. All fish have covered gills, so if you can see flowery red gills, you may be looking at a siren.

Do we have Gator Turtles?
Some folks call the Alligator Snapping Turtle a ‘gator turtle’. This does not mean that they are in any way part alligator. Alligator snapping turtles are named this because they have ridges on their backs and tails like alligators. These turtles are not indigenous to our area, meaning they have never been known to populate SC on their own. (Occasionally one is found here because humans have moved it.) There are Common Snapping Turtles here, which are very similar in appearance and are sometimes mistaken for the feisty alligator snapper, which is found in Louisiana and Mississippi. You will find both species for comparison in the reptile center.

Alligator, Crocodile, or Caiman?
We have all three at Cypress Gardens. Although there are wild alligators in the swamp, we have only three live American Alligators on display. They are located outside of the aquarium entrance. Alligators have wide snouts whereas crocodiles have more slender ones. Another noticeable difference is the way all of an alligator’s bottom teeth fit neatly into its top jaw. A crocodile has a groove on either side of its top jaw where a bottom tooth can be seen. The crocodile has a bad reputation for being less friendly than either the alligator or the caiman. The caiman are more difficult to differentiate from the others. Their appearance is closer to that of the American Alligator.

Other Interesting Facts

Cypress Gardens now houses 13 of the 23 species of Crocodilians in the world.

There are 10 endangered or threatened species on display in our park.

Most of the birds on exhibit can talk, but none say “Polly want a cracker”.

All of the reptiles eat dead food, which we buy frozen and then thaw to room temperature. The large snakes eat rabbits and large rats. The small snakes eat small rats and mice. The crocs and alligators eat chicken and rats.

The biggest snake in the reptile house is the 250 pound anaconda. We call her Spot. She is 15 feet long.