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tropical landscapes to those locked up in an ice age. It is interesting to consider that today, these ancient creatures occupy the newest landscapes of Florida. The Everglades are only about 5,000 years old — a blink of an eye in the scheme of things. Adaptability, a strong immune system and just plain toughness have kept them going. They can survive loss of a limb. They can weather freezing temperatures. They can go without eating for a year. Because they are aquatic, they even survived the global "win- ter" brought on by a huge meteor crashing into the Caribbean Sea 65 million years ago that wiped out 70 percent of all living things, including the dinosaurs. We almost lost alligators in the mid-20th cen- tury. They were being hunted to extinction to satisfy a fashion craze for alligator handbags and shoes. In 1967, 'gators were placed on the endangered species list. That was the year I visited Sanibel's Periwinkle Park and met Albert, the campground "pet," who was always looking for handouts. We did not realize that feeding alligators makes them lose their fear of man. They do not distinguish a hand from a handout. "A fed alligator is a Barbara Dondero and her niece, Kate Carroll, look for 'gators from the bridge on Park Drive at Myakka River State Park. Sarasota News Leader March 28, 2014 Page 96