Alligators bask in the warm sun on the banks of the Launch Complex 39 turn basin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Alligators bask in the warm sun on the banks of the Launch Complex 39 turn basin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Cool weather frequently brings the gators out of the water. A protected species, alligators can be spotted in the drainage canals and other waters surrounding Kennedy. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge, which is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller