Spring has come again, and with it--alligator mating season. It's important to take precautions if you live in areas known to be infested with alligators, and this information might help thwart a potentially deadly tragedy.
In Palmetto, Florida recently, a Tampa-area woman found a 7-foot long alligator in her bathroom that had apparently used the home’s doggy-door to get into the house. The alligator had enough time to move a little furniture around and “discombobulate the blinds” but was fortunately contained by the woman’s until removal by an officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Had the couple reacted differently, the situation might have escalated into something worse for them or the alligator.
Alligator Mating Season
Warnings are in effect year-round, but it’s important to be especially cautious during alligator mating season. Mating season begins in the month of April, which means that the largest males will be out aggressively trying to mate in the open waters. You might hear alligators making loud noises, touching, rubbing and blowing bubbles to attract a mate, and after a somnolent winter, alligators are on the move.
American Alligators are mostly found in the south; particularly in Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and South Carolina, and because of dangerously declining numbers, American alligators came under the protection of the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. Their preservation is essential to the delicate ecological balance they help provide, and it is senseless to slaughter them solely for their skins. So what is the best strategy for avoiding an encounter with an alligator?
Avoid Confrontation with Alligators
Avoidance is the best practice during alligator mating season. Avoid the lakes, marshes, rivers, creeks and other bodies of water where alligators are most active. If you have an occupation or a hobby that has you working outdoors, work with a partner, be observant of your surroundings, and exercise extreme caution when close to dense foliage along the shoreline.
If an alligator is on your property, avoid engaging it in any way, and do not feed it under any circumstances. Feeding alligators causes them to be less fearful of humans, and this increases the risk of human-alligator mishaps. Call a professional to come and remove the alligator, and even if you think that you can handle the alligator yourself, it would be foolish to do so. Alligators might look large, slow and lazy, but they can run much faster than humans, and their jaw strength has more than enough force to crush bone into pulp.
To learn more about alligators in your area, contact your local wildlife conservation commission.
Source(s): Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, SeattlePi
Amberr Phounsavath - I am a mother, wife and writer from Atlanta, GA. I'm passionate about seeing new places, and I've never met a beach I didn't love. I ...
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