Florida Alligators

Florida has an estimated population of over a million Alligators. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, between 1948 and 1995, there have been 218 alligator attacks (with 7 fatalities).

Alligators have a natural fear of man, but they occasionally get brave and venture out of the water onto land. They are also predators, so when humans feed them, they tend to associate people with food - a potentially dangerous situation. Since 1948 when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began recording alligator attacks on humans, a record 25 attacks resulting in 9 fatalities have been documented. Not included in this count are the incidents where cats, dogs, and small livestock have had encounters with a gator.

Human-alligator encounters are most common in Central and South Florida, where alligators greatly outnumber their cousins in North Florida. South Florida alligators are active year-round, while North Florida gators become far less active during the colder months.

If you come face-to-face with an alligator, it is said that you should run away in a rapid zig-zag motion. Alligators tend to follow the actions of their prey, and they cannot turn as quickly as they can run straight. Gators can run as fast as a horse for about 30 feet. But they don’t make turns well.

Humans and alligators have shared Florida’s swamps, marshes, and lakes for several thousand years, but the potential for conflict is getting worse as the state’s ever-increasing human population spills over into alligator habitats.

In early spring in parts of Florida, male alligators sing their love songs to female gators. Later, the females make nests by piling up grass and other plants; they lay their eggs (typically about 25-50) in the middle. As the plants rot, heat is given off to keep the eggs warm. Weeks later, the babies hatch and the mother carries them to the water in her mouth. Alligators take care of their babies for months.

Alligators were declared an endangered species in 1967, after being hunted for generations, both for sport and for their hides. Once protected, their numbers increased rapidly. A decade later, hunting of the American alligator was legally resumed in some states, including Florida. Today, the alligator is still protected by law as a threatened species.

Studies of the American alligator, a close relative of the crocodile, indicate that these mighty reptiles contribute much to the preservation of plant and animal life.

For example, in the Everglades, situated in the southern section of Florida, alligators keep the bony-scaled spotted garfish in check. Without control on the gar population, these fish would eat up all the valuable bass and bream, as well as other game fish.

The alligator contributes toward the preservation of living things by digging basinlike holes in areas where the water table fluctuates greatly. In the Everglades, these "gator holes" constitute the deepest pools. During periods of drought they are the last to dry up and so provide a refuge for various fish, amphibians and reptiles. Once the drought passes, the creature life preserved in the "gator holes" can begin to multiply. These holes also supply food and water for birds and mammals.

Nutrients derived from the alligator's droppings and remnants of its meals enrich the soil and contribute to the support luxuriant vegetation. On the banks formed by material dredged from "gator holes" plants can start to grow that differ from those of the immediate surrounding area.

Even the movement of the alligator through its habitat has a beneficial effect on the landscape. Being a large reptile, the alligator makes channels through the plant life and thereby retards the processes that transform a pond into a marsh.

Truly, mighty alligator is an impressive creature. Its protective armor and the strength of its jaws are awe-inspiring. This reptile is marvelously suited for its existence and contributes a valuable part in preserving the present balance of living things. While perhaps not especially attractive to many people, the mighty alligator should make one aware that it is unwise to underestimate the value of any creature.