With the majority of Florida… The largest alligators are often in charge of looking out and protecting a specific territory from predators. However, there are still many male alligators out there that will mate several females at once. Alligator is the crocodilian reptile in the Alligatoridae family and the genus Alligator. American alligators are no longer an endangered species, but are protected under a classification that allows only people with special licenses and permits to take them. When you’re boating, fishing or hiking trails near the river, you’re likely to run into longtime residents of the river – alligators. With an estimated 1.3 million alligators in Florida, the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is warning the public to be aware of the increase in alligator activity this time of year and the possibilities of encountering them. Wildlife officials shot the alligator, which was still holding the lifeless body of the boy 20 hours later. Given the famous alligator-infested swamp called the Everglades, the many stories of alligators attacking people or pets in lakes and streams, the YouTube clip of a giant alligator … Dolphins In Hunt For Division Title, First Time Since 2008 Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Alligators have a preference for fresh water and sometimes brackish water; Statistical data suggests that the probability of being killed by an alligator is low; Since the early 1970s, there have been 23 fatalities and under 400 unprovoked bites by alligators in Florida; Mating season for alligators … The American/Florida SALTWATER CROCODILE (however you want to identify it) was down to 300 total at one point. The FWC decides whether it poses a risk and will then assign a trapper that it contracts with and licenses. He pursues and kills Alligator in the swamp area of Louisiana. The pandemic has forced many people to stay at home, surfing the web much more than usual. ALLIGATOR COUNTRY. All rights reserved. “They can literally be in any puddle of water,” said Boynton Beach resident Richard Cochran, who removed nuisance alligators for the state until last year when an unrelated back injury sidelined him. TAMPA, Fla. — Florida residents know that we share the state with a large alligator population — an estimated 1.3 million to be exact! Wild pigs and eagles will swoop in for a small alligator. Instead, the FWC operates the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, where people can report a suspicious gator. ORLANDO, Fla. – If you live in Central Florida, alligators can show up anytime, anywhere. Thousands of … Those numbers are now up to 2,000! “They’ve been at people’s front doors, in retention ponds, swimming pools,” Cochran said. ORLANDO, Fla. - We can all pretty much agree it has been one wild year. When it comes to encounters with alligators, the best possible advice is to try your best not to have those encounters by staying a safe distance of at least 50 feet away. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) ranges throughout the southeastern United States, and alligators within Everglades National Park exist at the southern extreme of their range. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) ranges throughout the southeastern United States, and alligators within Everglades National Park exist at the southern extreme of their range. Since 2011, Parker said, 36 nuisance alligators have been removed from Lake Hernando alone. Florida is a prime habitat for alligators. Areas with the highest removals are in and around Tampa, Sarasota, Orlando, Fort Myers and Jacksonville. However, when it comes to personal life, Troy likes to keep it low-key. Now spotting an alligator in Florida isn’t difficult. You would not believe the amount of interest (drama) created when my out-of-state buddies start asking about alligators living in Florida lakes and canals. The Florida Times-Union ~ 1 Independent Drive, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32202 ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Cookie Policy ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service ~ Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. I found it more enjoyable to be good to them,” he said. So, if you live in Cape Coral, know this: 1. The pandemic has forced many people to stay at home, surfing the web much more than usual. RELATED: 750-pound alligator found in Jupiter has new home in Gatorland. It is one of two extant species in the genus Alligator within the family Alligatoridae; it is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinese alligator. Statewide, 6,700 nuisance alligators were killed or relocated in 2017. “I don’t like to kill them, and I had a license not to for a couple of years. Congratulations, we win. “When temperatures rise, an alligator’s metabolism increases and they begin seeking prey,” an FWC press release says. I got this off of animal planet on a show about them in Florida. And, south Florida is the only place where alligators and crocodiles live side by side. That means Floridians can’t just call up the local alligator trapper to remove one like they would if it were a raccoon or possum. The Florida state record for length is a 14 foot 3-1/2 inch male from Lake Washington in Brevard County. The state has so many alligators – an estimated 1.3 million – that requiring signs would mean they’d be everywhere, obscuring everything. "If you've got a body of water in Florida, there's a good chance there's an alligator in it." April is alligator courting season, which means the frisky crocodilians may be venturing out more in the hopes of finding a companion before mating season begins in earnest in May and June. Although alligator bite incidents resulting in serious injury are rare in Florida, the FWC recommends taking precautions when having fun in and around the water. Two years later in June 2018, an alligator killed 47-year-old Plantation resident Shizuka Matsuki while she walked her dogs in Davie’s Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park. Diet and Condition of American Alligators in Three Central Florida Lakes; Size Expand/Collapse Size. According to Newsweek, it is estimated that there are around 1.3 million alligators in Florida. Globally, alligators account for less than 6% of crocodilian attacks that resulted in fatality (IUCN). That’s far more than Broward (565) … West Palm Beach and its suburbs racked up a total of 205 removals over the past two years, with 139 taken from Wellington and 77 from Palm Beach Gardens. Now spotting an alligator in Florida isn’t difficult. © Gannett Co., Inc. 2021. I couldn’t find any numbers on dog attacks by alligators, but there are quite a few. Unless you can move like Secretariat, keep your distance. Over the past decade, Florida has averaged seven unprovoked alligator bites to humans per year that are serious enough to require medical treatment. That increased to 7,114 last year, according to FWC data. ORLANDO, Fla. - We can all pretty much agree it has been one wild year. Even the best efforts at keeping a body of … 13. The reptiles were hunted close to extinction. The two kinds of alligators living in the world currently are the Chinese and American alligators Roughly 1.25 million alligators live in the Sunshine state but when you spot an alligator so big that it resembles a dinosaur, well that’s something. “Pools aren’t uncommon. Watch out for increased alligator activity as the weather warms. Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for many centuries, and are found in all 67 counties. ORLANDO, Fla. – If you live in Central Florida, alligators can show up anytime, anywhere. (That would be like playing tag with Usain Bolt.) Improved answer: probably closer to 1.25 MILLION. And our water levels are still rising. In Florida, there's a special number for "nuisance" alligators, 1-866-FWC-GATOR. Alligators live in the wetlands of the southern United States. Florida alligators are showing their true flexibility and range -- social media has caught one climbing a fence and another swimming in a flooded road. Record Number Of Invasive Pythons Removed From Florida Everglades. 139 bull gators spotted in Indian River County lake Catching a glimpse of an alligator, especially near one of Central Florida's lakes, is not a surprise. Of the more than 87,000 alligators hunted from 2000 to 2015 across Florida, 540 were nabbed in Manatee and Sarasota counties, according to … The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have stated that on average there are around seven unproved crocodile and alligator attacks each year – a figure that is rising by 3%. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States, with a small population in Mexico. The sheer size of the animal had many on social media questioning whether it was actually real. RELATED: Father of boy killed by gator couldn’t pull child from gator’s jaws. 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Marco Rubio Supports Pro-Trump Caravan That Swarmed Biden Bus, Florida Gov. And while that can … And don’t think the prehistoric predators are confined to wildlife areas. How many alligators are there in Florida, and how frequently do they attack? Female alligators rarely exceed 10 feet in length, but males can grow much larger. RELATED: Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Does Risk Assessment After Florida Water Plant Hack In one survey, FWC counted 2,322 gators, 26 of which were bull gators. Well, Florida alligators … Many residents seek waterfront homes, and increasingly participate in water-related activities.