Alligator Claude Recuperating from Toe Injury

Don't expect to see Claude at the California Academy of Sciences in the coming days. His roommate Bonnie snapped his toe in a territorial spat over the flat rock on which they like to bask. And Claude's been taken for rest and safer waters, while Bonnie roams the tank alone for a few weeks.

A commenter on the SF Gate article about Claude asks this: "Why is it that an alligator gets better healthcare than most Californians?" Good question. I don't begrudge Claude his medical care, because I don't envy the tradeoff: living in a glass house with no privacy, impaired vision and a belligerent roommate. Then again, for full dental and no deductible . . .

^{Photo © Ingrid Taylar}