What To Know About Alligator Mating Season In Florida
Love is in the air as alligator mating season beings in Florida this spring.
Once we hit May and June, the gators start feeling frisky. The warm weather is a gator aphrodisiac, apparently. And there are plenty of them in our sunshine state. How many would you guess? The answer is about 1.3 million.
Some people fear that gators act more aggressive during mating season. This isn’t entirely true. People may believe this because they are seeing them more frequently during these months. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are more aggressive.
Related: This is the Most Gator-Inhabited Lake in Tampa Bay
Lauren Claerbout is with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She talks about alligator mating season in Florida and explains, “Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, but it’s even more rare for alligator mating and nesting to be associated with a human alligator conflict. It’s rare for alligator mating and nesting to be associated with human alligator conflict. However, right now the weather is warming up, so alligators are more active and visible which does increase the potential for conflict.”
Be Aware During Alligator Mating Season In Florida
So what should you do during this mating season to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of your children and pets. First of all, keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings. Make sure your children and pets are well supervised around bodies of water, as you should any time of year.
Secondly, never ever….and I mean NEVER feed alligators. The worst thing that could happen would be for gators to associate humans with food and get comfortable enough to get close to us. As far as gator bites go (not the ones humans order at restaurants), they don’t happen too frequently. According to the FWC, collection of data over the last decade reveals that there are about 8 unprovoked bites, on average, each year that require serious medical attention. And usually the bite because food, or their perception of what is food, is involved.
One other behavior you might notice during mating season is that female alligators may hiss at anyone who might be a threat to their baby gators. Be aware of your surroundings during this alligator mating season in Florida.
Remember what happened last year?
3 Strange Occurrences We've Already Seen in Alligator Mating Season
Mating Season = More Active Alligators
You are more likely too see an alligator during mating season. Mating season aligns to this time of year partially due to the weather warming up. This in turn makes the alligators more comfortable with coming out. It was not uncommon for alligators to be seen more than usual this past winter due to the weather being warmer this year.
Early Morning and Evening
These are the times of day when an alligator is most active. They can be found in any body of water. They react to any splashing of water. At water’s edge, they likely think any movement is an animal. Lower water levels also increase their movement abilities.
Beware
There are some general precautions you can take during alligator mating season. You should never feed them. In Florida, it’s against the law to feed any animal living in the wild. It also makes them more comfortable around humans when you you feed them; it also teaches them to associate people with food. Keep your pets away from alligator friendly areas and bodies of water that have rising waters. Be aware that the size of the alligator does not matter in regards to how much damage it can cause. Smaller sized are also dangerous. If you were being chased by an alligator, it is best to run away in a straight line.
Lastly, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can always be contacted here, where you can also find additional information.
