Gatorama hatching festival gives guests up-close view

Allen and Patty Register are enjoying record numbers of guests at their annual Alligator Hatching Festival, which wraps up this weekend at the Gatorama alligator and crocodile farm.

This 52-year-old roadside attraction located off U.S. 27 just south of Highway 29, is about 40 minutes south of Sebring.

"This is the only place where you can hatch out an alligator in your hand," said Patty Register, already busy with phone calls and preparing for a field trip of students before the park has even opened.

By "hatching out" Patty means holding an alligator egg (a little larger than a chicken egg and slightly oblong) and gently assisting as a baby gator about 8 inches long makes its way out. "You can hold the egg, feel the baby moving, and also hear it. It's an eye-opening experience," she said.

The babies come out looking much like they will as adults, and can already walk, swim, and vocalize. The only thing they can't do is bite, since they hatch without any teeth. A small white lump on their nose serves as an "egg tooth" helping them to scratch away a weakness in the egg shell when they are ready to hatch.

The Registers have about 2,000 eggs hatching this season, which comes once a year about this time. They also hatch crocodiles in July, but don't hold a festival because crocodiles are born with teeth.

The cost to "midwife" an alligator into the world is $10 plus regular admission, and a discount coupon is available on the website under Visitor Information. The park is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but Patty admitted it's best to come early if you want to hatch out a gator. Gatorama doesn't take reservations, but the Registers said they expect to be able to accommodate all of their guests, even with the unexpectedly large numbers.

Half the gators hatching will stay on the farm as attractions and half will be sold for meat and skins when they reach market size - about 5 feet long. "They're cute for about a month," Patty laughed.

The 15-acre attraction also features live shows and walkways where visitors can view panthers, raccoons, peacocks and more. For more information visit www.gatorama.com or call 863-675-0623.