Latest news with #AmericanAlligator
Forbes
3 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
11 Southeast States Offer Tips For People Living Among Alligators
American alligator walking along a two-lane highway in Florida. As more people are move into traditional alligator habitats, 11 Southeastern states have launched the GatorWise website with pointers about how to minimize problems while living among the dangerous reptiles. Destruction of wetland habitats where American alligators have lived is occurring throughout the Southeast due to an influx of land development due to more people living there as well as company expansions or new business locations there. 'Some states are beginning to see an uptick in nuisance alligator reports and sightings, and some of these reports are simply that an alligator exists somewhere people hadn't seen one before,' herpetologist Amanda Bryant, of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, stated in a May 27 state notice. 'Some states, like Florida, have done an excellent job of spreading awareness about alligator behavior and safety, and we wanted to work together to have a cohesive message throughout the American alligator's range.' She noted the website contains useful tips such as 'keeping an eye out before entering the water in alligator habitat and keeping your pets on a leash and away from the shoreline will go a long way in preventing alligator conflicts.' In mid-May, the educational website was unveiled to promote safety between the public and wild alligators. The states behind GatorWise are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Native Range of American Alligators. "The introduction of GatorWise is important because information about how humans should behave around alligators is similar across the southeast, but until now, each state has had to manage their own outreach sites and information,' Morgan Hart, alligator biologist, noted in a May 19 announcement by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. "We hope that being able to reference a central place for information will help people and alligators coexist safely.' The state agency explained that continued 'significant human development' is expected within American alligator habitats in southeastern states. 'Alligators are a robust species that can thrive in areas where development occurs, as long as the people in these areas understand how to responsibly coexist with them,' SCDNR added. The American alligator is a federally protected species and among North America's largest reptiles. The name alligator can be traced back to Spanish explorers who called them 'el lagarto' (the lizard). Alligators laying on the pond's edge in Hilton Head, South Carolina. While most people don't think of Tennessee as having alligators, the reptiles are appearing in confirmed sightings in the southwestern areas. 'What we're seeing are alligators naturally expanding their range into Tennessee from the southern border states,' says Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency on its website. 'The TWRA has not stocked or released any alligators in Tennessee and we would like to remind everyone that possessing or releasing alligators in Tennessee is illegal and poses safety and ecological risks. Alligators expanding into Tennessee is just another species that we must learn to coexist with.' TWRA is reminding people to refrain from feeding or harassing the alligators, which are a protected species. 'Videos have circulated recently on the internet of people poking at and interacting with alligators in Tennessee, which falls under the State of Tennessee's definition of harassing wildlife and you could be cited for any incidents of interacting with them,' TWRA says. Alicia Wassmer, wildlife biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said in May 19 press announcement that people need to learn more about living among alligators. 'As development continues to expand into once-remote areas where alligators live, we need to become GatorWise in order to safely share the land with this species,' Wassmer said. 'Urbanization is projected to increase at exponential rates in areas where alligator habitat occurs. This continuous conversion of natural spaces, coupled with a constant influx of newcomers who may not know that alligators are here or aren't familiar with alligator behavior, have amplified the need for state wildlife resource agencies to proactively connect residents and visitors with vital information on how to coexist responsibly with the alligators that live in these communities.' 'Urbanization is projected to increase at exponential rates in areas where alligator habitat occurs,' 'This continuous conversion of natural spaces, coupled with a constant influx of newcomers who may not know that alligators are here or aren't familiar with alligator behavior, have amplified the need for state wildlife resource agencies to proactively connect residents and visitors with vital information on how to coexist responsibly with the alligators that live in these communities.' American Alligator in Louisiana. The GatorWise website encourages people to learn where alligators live in the different Southeastern states since each state has different alligator ranges and habitats. Warning sign about alligators in Florida. A South Carolina factsheet by the SCDNR offers advice for what to do when attacked by a gator. 'In the rare event that you are attacked, awareness of alligator behavior may save your life. Alligators clamp down with powerful jaws, then twist and roll. If an alligator bites your arm, it may help to grab the alligator and roll with it to reduce tearing of the arm. Strike the nose of the alligator hard and often, and try to gouge the eyes. If at all possible, do not allow the alligator to pull you into the water.' Florida has 1.3 million alligators that live in all of the state's 67 counties. 'In recent years, Florida has experienced tremendous human population growth. Many residents seek waterfront homes, and increasingly participate in water-related activities. This can result in more frequent alligator-human interactions, and a greater potential for conflict,' says the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Another state with a sizeable population of American alligators is Louisiana, which is also home to about 1 million alligators. In Louisiana, alligators live mostly along the state's coastal marshes but also can be found in its canals, bayous, rivers and swamps. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries manages American alligators as a commercial renewable natural resource by allowing wild harvesting through hunting and alligator farms where 1 million are raised. According to LDWF, Louisiana alligator farmers harvested 438,577 farm-raised alligators in 2019 valued at an estimated $86 million. Alabama's American alligators are found throughout the state. The number has grown significantly within the past 50 years to become a public nuisance in some areas and 'now cause hundreds of complaints annually from citizens concerned about public safety,' according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Consequently, hunting is allowed annually to curb alligator populations. In Arkansas, larger concentrations of the gators tend to live in the state's southeastern and the southwestern corners in places with large shallow water marshes and swamps. The state's diminishing American alligators rebounded from being decimated due to hunting and lost habitat until restocking efforts from 1970s to early 1980s released over 2,840 American alligators from Louisiana. Greater numbers of the reptiles enable the state to provide regulated hunting. Georgia is thought to have some 250,000 of the American alligators living primarily along the Fall Line (a geological boundary between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions) and south of it, such as around Augustus, Columbus and Macon. 'They are found in marshes, swamps, rivers, farm ponds and lakes in the wild, but also have been found in ditches, neighborhoods, drainage canals, roadways, golf course ponds and sometimes in swimming pools,' according to an Alligator Fact Sheet from the wildlife division of Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The agency publicized the GatorWise information on its website May 29. 'As the weather warms up and people are spending more time outdoors, it's a great time to remind everyone that it is normal to see alligators moving around and basking in rivers, ponds and lakes in the southern part of the state,' said Kara Nitschke, state wildlife resources divison alligator biologist. 'Alligators are native to Georgia and are critical to the health and balance of our ecosystems, so being GatorWise means we know how to modify our behavior to minimize any potential conflict.' Mississippi has between 32,000 and 38,000 alligators. The area with the most (nearly 25%) is Jackson County, followed by Hancock County and about 408,000 acres of alligator habitat in. Both counties are at the tip of the Gulf coastline. However, people living in Rankin County are more likely to come across a gator since there. The state determines its alligator populations by counting at night eyeshine counts using lights to document how many alligator eyeballs they find, which appear as orange under the illumination. 'Night-light surveys over the last three years indicate that Rankin County has the highest alligator densities in the state, averaging 7.35 alligators per mile along survey routes, versus an average of 1.76 alligators per mile for the rest of the state. Most of the Rankin County alligator population is located in and around Ross Barnett Reservoir and in the Pearl River to Ratliff Ferry,' says the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. North Carolina's gators tend to live north of Albemarle Sound, south along the eastern coast and as far west as in Robeson County. The two southernmost coastal counties of New Hanover and Brunswick are where most of the alligator nuisance reports are coming from. The state passed a law nearly 20 years ago to deter people from feeding alligators. 'Alligators are usually shy and secretive in nature. If fed, they can lose their natural fear of humans and learn to associate people with an easy meal,' stated the North Carolina Alligator Management Plan issued in 2017 by the NCWRC. 'The perception many individuals have that every alligator is a dangerous nuisance, misconceptions about alligator behavior and biology, public unawareness that alligators exist in North Carolina, and the transient nature of human populations in some areas (e.g., military bases, vacation destinations, recreational areas) all contribute to the need for a strong and continual education and outreach program to keep the public informed.' South Carolina's alligators live in coastal marsh areas but can be found in retention pounds rivers, streams and lakes. Each year there are from 300 to 350 alligators removed and euthanized due to public safety concerns posed to people and their pets. The SCDNR does not relocate alligators because they return to their habitats. 'Alligators have a strong homing instinct. Adult alligators will attempt to return home even after they've been moved many miles, crossing anything in their way to get back, including backyards and highways,' SCDNR says. American alligators in Oklahoma live primarily in isolated areas and marshlands in the state's southeastern corner. The counties that are the home to most alligators in Oklahoma are Choctaw and McCurtain. American Alligator locations in Texas. In Texas, American alligators live in a wide swath from the tip of the state in Brownsville at the Gulf up to the entire eastern side. 'With the human population in Texas continuing to expand, increased contact between people and alligators can be expected,' noted a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department factsheet. 'Alligators naturally shy away from humans. However, problems do arise when people feed alligators because the alligator loses its fear of humans and begins to associate people with food. This produces a potentially dangerous situation. An alligator that has been frequently hand-fed will often lunge at an outstretched hand. This action is often interpreted as an 'alligator attack' when in reality the alligator has been conditioned to respond to an outstretched hand expecting to be fed. For this reason, it is wrong to feed any wild alligator.' Alligator activity. Alligators are thought to have a key role in balancing wetland ecosystems. They can live as long as 50 years in the wild and aren't generally safe from being killed by predators (except people) after they grow more than four feet long. Raccoons, bears, otters and hogs are known to eat alligator eggs in nests. Young gators can become the prey of otters, fish, raccoon, wading birds and even larger alligators. American alligators mostly stay in areas where they were hatched from eggs between two and three years before they move to find their own ranges. Their body size can be from 6 to 14 feet long. Male alligators can weigh 1,000 pounds. Their front feet have 5 toes, while the back feet have 4 webbed toes. Other unusual characteristics is they have two sets of eyelids (a vertical one human like and a horizontal transparent membrane one) and teeth that grown back. A single alligators can grow 3,000 teeth in its lifetime. Juvenile alligators can eat amphibians, insects, amphibians and small fish, while adults consume snakes, birds, turtles, rough fish, small mammals and other opportunistic prey. 'Both males and females vocalize. The male calls with a loud, throaty bellow and may hiss and inflate to impress a mate. Females bellow and grunt, too, but less loudly. Young alligators call with a high-pitched chirp,' notes the NCWRC. A recently published study by Christopher M. Murray, Tyler S. Coleman, Wray Gabel and Ken Krauss looked at the role American alligators play in wetland ecosystems as helping to regulate carbon stored in soil, which has decomposed plants. 'Results indicate that American alligator presence is positively correlated with soil carbon stock across habitats within their native distribution,' noted a U.S. Geological Service article on the study,'American Alligators (Alligator Nississippiensis) as Wetland Ecosystem Carbon Stock Regulators.' Researchers are examining links between climate change and mitigation strategies such as the use of natural carbon stored in soils. This role that alligators are thought to play in the environment is among their place as an apex predator regulating ecosystem populations in wetlands.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
How Florida Law Makes Gator Encounters More Dangerous
After a 10-foot-long alligator was spotted on the I-95 median in Jacksonville, Florida, law enforcement officers were forced to stand idly by because they lacked the proper permits to remove the gator. It wasn't until Mike Dragich, a Nuisance Alligator Trapper licensed by the state, showed up sporting bare feet and camo accouterments that the alligator was wrestled and captured. While Dragich's wrangling was impressive, the fact that cops had to wait for him to arrive raises the question: Why is alligator management so complicated in Florida? Like other government-sponsored conservation programs, Florida's Alligator Management Program is a bureaucratic boondoggle. The program has five divisions governing gator interactions on private and public land, including the trapping of nuisance alligators like the one wrangled by Dragich. A "Nuisance Alligator Trapper" license, which garners an annual cost of $50, is required before individuals can remove alligators at least 4 feet in length that threaten people, pets, or property—even on privately owned land. And the licenses are limited in availability. Anyone who wishes to assist an alligator trapper has to have a license (a $52 annual fee). Trappers must also carry a harvest permit (an additional $62 annually) specifying how a nuisance alligator can be killed after capture. Additional and separate state licenses are required for alligator hunting, collecting hatchlings and/or eggs, farming, and meat processing. Alligators kept in captivity for educational purposes, exhibition, or sale need yet another license, and keeping an alligator for personal use requires a different pet license. Importing and exporting alligator products is under federal purview. All of these licenses and permits are limited in availability—only 113 trappers were permitted to serve 10,000 nuisance calls across Florida in 2023—and come with their own list of requirements, regulations, and costs. Meanwhile, any killing, possessing, or capturing of an alligator without the appropriate license is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years imprisonment and up to a $5,000 fine. This complicated web of state regulations stems from the ongoing federal oversight of the American Alligator. Although the reptile has been deemed fully recovered since 1987, today's 5 million gators across Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and parts of North and South Carolina are considered "threatened due to similarity of appearance" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) because they look similar to the American Crocodile—another threatened reptile—that only inhabits the southern parts of Florida. Under this categorization, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, limits the number of alligators killed by requiring a federally issued tag accompany each harvested reptile. By issuing a limited number of tags, the federal government constrains the alligator market and encourages states to heavily regulate alligator interactions to ensure compliance. While today's healthy number of alligators is often attributed to ESA limitations on commercial trade by federal agencies and certain conservationist groups, state regulations that embraced capitalist principles are what truly drove the population's comeback. Conservation efforts undertaken by the states in the 1960s to simultaneously regulate alligator hunting while incentivizing private land owners to view gators and wetlands as an asset, not a liability, significantly increased the overall population before the ESA took effect in 1973. Listing alligators as endangered under the ESA may have hampered conservation efforts because it prohibited states from setting reasonable hunting and harvesting quotas. It wasn't until the reptiles were reclassified to "threatened due to similarity of appearance" that states were given broader latitude to approach alligator management, including recreational and commercial harvesting. Ultimately, working with, not against, alligator hunters and traders and creating a legitimate market was key to the alligator's stunning comeback. Florida's stable and profitable 1.3 million alligator population stems largely from the state embracing, not limiting, commercial trade. However, Floridians still face onerous obstacles when interacting with the reptiles because of continued federal rules that penalize people and property owners from protecting themselves from gators. The police were able to call Dragich without getting hurt. Not everyone in Florida is that lucky. The post How Florida Law Makes Gator Encounters More Dangerous appeared first on
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Miami Herald
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
‘Brave little gator' with missing top jaw is thriving at Florida park. See Jawlene
An alligator with a missing upper jaw is thriving at her 'forever home' in Florida almost two years after she was rescued from the wild, a video shows. Someone first spotted the disfigured alligator — now named Jawlene — in August 2023 at a canoe launch about 20 miles north of Orlando and snapped a photo of the creature that soon went viral, McClatchy News reported. 'This brave little gator made headlines around the globe when she was found in the wild here in Florida,' Gatorland international ambassador Savannah Boan said in a March 21 post on Instagram. 'The amazing folks at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sent legendary trapper Jerry Flynn to rescue her, and he brought her straight to us here at Gatorland Orlando.' The theme park houses a variety of animal habitats, including alligators and crocodiles. Jawlene showed steady signs of improvement that included gaining 2 pounds after only two months there, McClatchy News reported. 'Thanks to our Gatorland Global Conservation Program, Jawlene now lives her best life in alligator paradise!' Boan said in the post. 'She shares a massive habitat with her bestie — an albino red-eared slider turtle named Nelly Wafer — and they get along just fine!' A video shows Boan tossing scraps of meat into — err, onto? — the gator's exposed lower jaw and tongue as an instrumental version of Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' plays softly in the background. One of the pieces of meat doesn't quite make it into her throat and flops over the edge of her jaw into the water in her habitat. 'Jawlene may be missing her top jaw, but she's got a whole lot of fight, a huge fan base, and the love of her forever home right here at Gatorland!' Boan said in the post. Several people commented about how much the young gator has grown since arriving at the facility. 'She's living a good life now,' someone said. 'Look how big she's gotten.' 'It is crazy to believe that she had survived as long as she did in the wild on her own,' someone said. Some called her inspirational. 'She's so darn adorable, what an inspiration she is,' someone said. It's unknown what caused Jawlene's deformity, though it was likely from another gator or predator in the wild, Gatorland staff said in previous videos. 'Jawlene is a testament to the strength and resilience of the American Alligator,' Gatorland Orlando wrote in the caption on a video from December 2023. 'She is a real American treasure, just like Dolly Parton, who sings the song that was the inspiration for Jawlene's name.'
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Illinois Deer Classic showcases exotic animals, gear in Peoria
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Those who are outdoor-inclined can drop in on the Peoria Civic Center to see the latest in hunting gear as well as learn about exotic animals that 'you can't see everyday.' Illinois Deer Classic. beginning Friday, March 21 and ending March 23 at the Peoria Civic Center. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids, and those under $9 are free. The Wildlife Adventure Center will bring Chewee the Sloth and a 3-year-old Swampy, an American Alligator, to the show as well as several other animals, said Jim DeBerry. People can come see their shows which are on throughout the day. 'Here's a chance for people to see animals that you just can't see every day,' he said. John Bungee, the show producer for the event, said there are nearly 200 exhibitors and 'everything for a hunter.' 'If you are a hunter or want to be a hunter, it's great for the families too,' he said, pointing to Chewee who was perched on a faux tree and taking in the sights and sounds of a TV studio. In addition to the vendors and the animals, there are also seminars for hunters who want to hone their craft. 'It's the whole package.' DeBerry said in addition to the sloth and the alligator, there are snakes, large tortoises and wild cats at their exhibit. The idea is to promote wildlife education. Hours are 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. DeBerry echoed that the classic has something for everyone, including a two-toed sloth named Chewee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
‘Abundance' of Alligators Found in Florida Sewer System: ‘Like Something Out of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''
Florida's sewer systems have been playing host to alligators. A study conducted by the University of Florida found that the stormwater sewer systems beneath Gainesville contained a total of 35 different animal species, including armadillos, frogs, raccoons and yes, alligators. The study exhibits a shift towards "human-modified environments" as urbanization and development progress. Related: Large Gathering of Alligators in Georgia River Unnerves Onlookers — and Prompts Investigation Alan Ivory, a Ph.D. student at UF, spearheaded the study. While the movement of rats throughout underground systems is well-studied, the patterns of other animals — who use the tunnels as pathways to navigate an urban landscape — is far less researched. 'It's like something out of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Ivory told the New York Times. 'The abundance of animals down there was surprising.' The team carried out the study by using 39 motion-activated trail cameras attached to manhole covers on 33 stormwater drains. Across roughly two months, the cameras collected data — though some fell victim to storm water or thieving raccoons, Ivory said. The American Alligator, also known by its scientific name, Alligator mississippiensis, was among seven types of reptiles found in the storm sewage systems and was "documented across the greatest number of sites." Related: Alligator Caught on Camera Making 'Himself at Home' at Florida Residence: See the Video Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The data in the study suggests that many of the animals use the storm sewage systems to avoid crossing busy roads or other highly trafficked areas. Others, mainly small animals, may have been found in the sewers after being swept there by runoff water. 'Of the five sites, four of the sites where alligators were observed were simple culverts, and for this reason, most of the alligator observations were of animals swimming from one pond to another (35 of 50 observations), thereby avoiding crossing busy roads,' the study read. Read the original article on People
