Állat
Marta the alligator
Marta links the history of Płock Zoo with the film Hydrozagadka and an unusual exchange involving books and animals.
A tartalom nyelve
In 1970, Marta the alligator played Herman the crocodile in Andrzej Kondratiuk's film Hydrozagadka. Her screen role did not change her zoological identity: Marta is an American alligator. She hatched in Louisiana in 1930 and arrived in Płock in 1960. Her journey was connected with Operation Crocodile, which collected Polish books for the Polish community in Argentina while exotic animals were brought to the zoo.
Marta's broad snout reveals a characteristic of alligators: when the jaws close, the upper edge conceals the lower teeth. Wild members of this species inhabit fresh water in the southeastern United States. They live in rivers, lakes and wetlands and are capable swimmers. Adults eat fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals; small youngsters begin with insects and other tiny invertebrates.
A female guards her nest. Above the waterline, she builds a mound of mud and vegetation containing between twenty and sixty eggs. Care continues after hatching, and a mother may remain with her offspring for several years. The apparently motionless reptile has a surprisingly elaborate parental life.
Gyerekeknek
Marta really appeared in a film! In Hydrozagadka, made in 1970, she played Herman the crocodile, although she is actually an alligator. She hatched in Louisiana in 1930. Thirty years later she arrived in Płock through Operation Crocodile. This unusual project used books for Polish people living in Argentina to help bring animals to the zoo.
An alligator has a broad snout. When it closes its mouth, the lower teeth disappear beneath the upper jaw. Marta's wild relatives live in American rivers, lakes and swamps. They swim well and catch fish among other animals. Baby alligators eat much smaller creatures, including insects.
A mother alligator builds a mound of mud and plants beside the water. She lays her eggs inside and guards them. After they hatch, she cares for the youngsters too. This large reptile can be a very attentive parent.
Kérdés: 1/2
In which film did Marta play Herman the crocodile?
- Elhelyezkedés
- Herpetarium