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Established
in 1987, Little River National Wildlife Refuge is one of more than 530
refuges throughout the United States managed by the Fish and Wildlife
Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the only national system
of lands dedicated to conserving our wildlife heritage for people today
and for generations yet to come. Little River National Wildlife Refuges'
primary purpose is to preserve the bottomland hardwood forests for migratory
waterfowl on the Central Flyway. Visitors to this 15,000-acre refuge,
tucked in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, step into an era before civilization.
Flocks of mallards and wood ducks glide along the sloughs and oxbows of
Litte River past the flared trunks of
cypress trees. Listen
to the croaks and whistles of many frogs.
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Watch
for an alligator floating in still waters. (Pictured to the left - FWS
Photos). Alligators are common along the auto tour for visitors with
keen eyes. The length of the alligator, in feet, is proportional to the
inches of space between the eyes and nose. For example, if you see an
alligator with 4 inches between the eyes and nose, it is probable that
the "gator" is 4 feet long. An alligator grows a foot a year
for the first 4 years and then approximately
6 inches a year. |
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