在肯尼迪航天中心晒太阳
A young alligator rests on a concrete structure at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 25, 2023. Alligator breeding season starts in May when males begin courting females. By June, pairs have mated, and females build vegetation nests in the marsh. Eggs hatch in about 65 days. The mother carries her young to the water and protects them from predators, including male alligators.
The center shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammal, 117 fish, and 65 amphibian and reptile species call Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.
Image credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
2023年4月25日，一只年轻的短吻鳄在佛罗里达州NASA肯尼迪航天中心的混凝土结构上休息。短吻鳄繁殖季节从五月开始，这时雄性开始向雌性求爱。到了6月，雌雄交配，雌性鳄鱼在沼泽里筑巢。鳄鱼卵大约65天后孵化。母鳄带着幼鳄来到水边，保护它们免受捕食者的伤害，包括雄性短吻鳄。
肯尼迪航天中心与梅里特岛国家野生动物保护区接壤。超过330种本地和候鸟，25种哺乳动物，117种鱼类，65种两栖动物和爬行动物将肯尼迪和野生动物保护区称为家。
图片来源: NASA/Ben Smegelsky