Tampa Alligator Control
The alligators found in Florida are American alligators. American alligators have a rounder snout than the crocodile. It has an extremely powerful tail and the tail is half the alligator’s length. Females are usually less than 10 feet but males can be up to 14 feet. The males can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Alligators can live up to 50 years. Spring is breeding season for the American alligator. The female can lay up to 50 eggs but most will not hatch. About 15 to 20 eggs will hatch in 65 days. The temperature of the eggs in the nest will determine the sex of the hatched young’s sex. Warmer nests such as on levees will hatch more males and in cooler marshes the result is more females. Only about 5 or 6 will reach adulthood which happens when they are 6 years old.
To protect your pets help make them a more challenging prey. Fenced yards will help limit the risks. Even low stone wall type fences can lower the probability an alligator will wander into your yard. If fencing your property is not possible, children and pets should always be supervised. It is rare for an alligator to view a human as prey but it does happen. As human populations expand into what had been the alligators territory interactions are increasing. As a result human deaths from alligator attacks are on the rise. A bite from an alligator is still serious and will cause major damage even if it is not fatal.
American Alligators are not able to handle salt like the American Crocodile and are mostly found in fresh water. This can include lakes, swamps, slow moving rivers, marshes, and other wetlands. Alligators in the spring tend to prefer open water but the females may also be in swampy areas. In the summer the males stay in the more open water while the females tend toward the swampy areas to look for a suitable nesting spot. As the weather gets colder in the fall they both find clumps of trees or banks to use as their home. Alligators can handle the cold better than the crocodile. They will become sluggish if the temperature goes below 70℉ and will go mostly dormant below 55℉ but can survive below 45℉ which the crocodile can not. Alligators will enjoy basking in the sun near the water and to hunt they will venture over 150 feet from the water so be aware if you are walking next to any body of water. Alligators are usually considered slow moving on land but can actually move extremely fast on land but only for brief distances. This is mostly used to escape back to the water rather than to attack.
Even though the American Alligator was removed from the endangered species list in 1987, they are still considered Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has it classified as Similarity in Appearance (Threatened). This is due to how similar it looks to the American Crocodile which is a threatened species still. Florida has also adopted this classification. Because of this, anyone taking an alligator must have the proper permits and licences. If you find an alligator in your pool or even in your home contact a professional. They will be able to help you through the process of having it removed through the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program. To be considered a nuisance the alligator it must be over 4 feet and be a threat to people, pets or property. Alligators under 4 feet generally eat only fish and frogs and even small pets are not usually at risk. However there are times when they do pose a risk and a professional will also help handle the SNAP process in these cases as well. For information on alligator control call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision at 1-866-FWC-GATOR or Call the A All Animal Control office at 813-536-5407
