Bag some alligator knowledge at Aquarium exhibit

By Stacy Parker

Correspondent

They're the opposite of cute and fuzzy, but their qualities are beyond the surface.

Alligators are at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, where guests can reach out and touch them.

"I just retrieved one," said education specialist Karen Burns. "It's a two-team operation."

She and other aquarium animal care specialists have been trained to guide young American alligators from an exhibit onto a deck with a net, tape their mouths shut and hold them for guests to touch.

"I was nervous about it at first," said Burns. "It's not 16 feet, but the power of the animal - it's just a hunk of muscle."

The young alligators are about 3 feet long from mouth to tail. Taping their mouth doesn't hurt them, said curator of reptiles and mammals Chip Harshaw.

"He has a mouth with very sharp teeth," said Harshaw, holding one across both his forearms. "If my thumb wandered near the mouth...alligators have a powerful bite."

Guests can touch a young alligator while a curator holds it.

"It gives you a whole different perspective when you actually touch the skin," said Burns. "It's a coat of armor."

"Alligators: Dragons in Paradise" is on display through May 4.

In addition to the 11 juvenile American alligators, the exhibit also features an albino alligator and a Yacare Caiman from South America. Guests can read a collection of facts and fantasies about the alligator and its role in Florida history.

The exhibit also includes artifacts such as alligator bags, shoes and purses; cast reproductions of alligator and crocodile skulls; and other souvenirs and memorabilia.

The Virginia Aquarium is undergoing extensive renovations. With facility expansion on the horizon, curators have been working with a broader community of animal care specialists, including crocodilian experts, said Harshaw.

"One of the missions here is not only to teach people but to try to contribute to conservation. Some of these animals are facing crisis out in the wild," he added.

Two adult alligators, measuring about 12 feet long, are expected to arrive at the aquarium in 2009. Komodo dragons, a rare species of sea horse, and a Red Sea and coral exhibits will be coming soon, to o.

The aquarium is not a zoo, but it can offer insight about other, less endearing species, said Harshaw.

"A crocodilian isn't as cute and fuzzy as a tiger or panda," he said. "This is our chance to teach people about them. "

Stacy Parker, stacyparker@cox.net