The letter "P" … It wouldn’t be unusual to see 100 to 120 gators on the banks. ‘Girthy’ 500-pound alligator in Florida captured by trappers. Corkscrew can be enjoyed by traversing the 2.5-mile elevated boardwalk through pine flatwoods leading to the wet prairie, around a marsh, and finally into the world’s largest remaining virgin bald cypress forest. A visitor center will help you find the best places to spy the prehistoric beasts. A family vacationing in South Florida last year came across an unlikely sight: a live gator perched on top of a gator pool float at their Airbnb. The mammoth emerald beast, with legs longer than a … The chance of someone being attacked is one in 3.2 million. Alligators are often spied from the walking trails. The alligators in the Key West Aquarium are usually between the ages of 1 and 3 years old and are on loan from the Alligator Farm in Homestead, FL. Southern Florida is the only place where both alligators and crocodiles live side by side. Gators hide when it’s windy. Deputies free alligator wedged in Florida storm drain Watch for those jaws. An envelope. Florida puppy that escaped alligator's jaws becomes sheriff 'deputy dog' Close. A huge alligator eats a duck on a lake in Florida after hunters shot the bird. How can you see alligators in the Everglades? With that being said, it is still important to not provoke alligators in order to respect their space, and not risk an attack. There are an estimated five million American alligators in the southeastern U.S. with a quarter of the alligator population in Florida. The stunning video was captured by wildlife photographer Shellie Gilliam at Lake Apopka, a … Billie Swamp Safari in Clewiston, north of Alligator Alley, has swamp buggy tours and airboat rides plus a twilight expedition. The Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in the Western Everglades is 13,000 acres of natural Florida east of Interstate 75 in Collier County and 45 miles northeast of Naples. There are two alligator species: the American and the Chinese (Alligator sinensis). Here you’ll find a large swimming area, a 22-foot diving platform and observation deck, a historic lodge with restaurant and casual café (ice cream! And while that … They eat primarily fish, birds, turtles, various mammals, and other reptiles. 2011-2020. We are open! You are very likely to run into these reptiles during your Everglades airboat tour, and you may be wondering what the difference is between the two. An image of a chain link. He was killed while snorkeling in the Wakulla Springs State Park, Wakulla County, Florida by an 11-foot (3.4 m) alligator. ), and boat rides. Water runs along both sides of the roads and passengers with keen eyes can spy gators swimming along or sunning on the banks. American alligators inhabit most of the southeastern United States; primarily Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia. That might quality for an “only in Florida” label. Climb the Shark Valley tower at the visitors center to get a bird’s-eye view of the amazing “river of grass.”. Everglades Holiday Park, a wildlife preserve and theme park on 29 acres near Fort Lauderdale, is home for Animal Planet's "Gator Boys" TV show, and features daily gator shows. In a strange incident, a six feet long alligator was seen peeking out from a drain in Florida, leaving the netizens completely baffled. Learn more in our Cookie Notice and our Privacy Policy. Lake Kissimmee State Park, 15 miles east of Lake Wales, is an excellent place for campers, birders, paddlers and even RV lovers to get a taste of natural Florida, and that includes gator viewing. While alligators primarily live in the southeastern U.S., crocodiles are found in North, South, and Central America as well as Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia. … Alligators and crocodiles are from the same scientific order, but from different families. VENICE, Fla. (AP) - A 6-foot (2-meter) alligator that got stuck in a storm drain was freed by some Florida deputies. Oh snap! Gunner the puppy survived a close encounter with an alligator's jaws last month - … SARASOTA, Fla. - Imagine jogging along your daily route and seeing an alligator's head popping out from the storm drain! You won’t likely leave the Ocala National Forest north of Orlando without seeing a gator or two. A massive alligator was spotted strolling through the Valencia Golf and Country Club in Naples, Florida. The wildlife (and death) scene went down on a Florida lake after some hunters had shot down the duck. Legal Status The American alligator is classified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as similarity of appearance to a threatened taxon. By continuing on our website, you consent to our use of cookies. No, they do not. Temperatures above 93 degrees will produce males while temperatures of 86 degrees and below produce females. They have extra sensory organs inside the snout for a heightened sense of smell and their vision above water can be compared to that of an owl. Bring binoculars. They have an excellent sense of hearing and a well developed inner ear; mothers can actually hear hatchlings calling while still inside the eggs. Gunner, … What do I do if there is a nuisance alligator in my neighborhood? This listing has been adopted by the State of Florida. At five locations along the coast of west Florida, large ponds of baby gators are a big attraction. A Florida wildlife photographer captured the rare sight of a bird eating an alligator by swallowing it whole at a lake northwest of Orlando. The question of where to see alligators in Florida might be better phrased, where don’t you see alligators in Florida? There are over a million gators who live in Florida even though they’re listed as being endangered since they look a lot like the American crocodile, which is endangered. Call (941) 361-6511 for details. Florida alligator bite statistics date back to 1948, ranging around three major bites per year. Please contact us to send a comment or to report a problem. The two highways through the Everglades and across the state are Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) and U.S 41 (Tamiami Trail) to its south. Wakulla, south of Tallahassee, is one of the world’s largest and deepest freshwater springs. Then there’s the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park where brave souls can zip line over alligators and crocodiles, and Gatorama in Palmdale, east of Lake Okeechobee. Along the Tamiami Trail, which runs through the Miccosukee Indian reservation, are companies offering airboat rides (and sometimes kayak rentals), among them Wooten’s, Tigertail, Osceola and Buffalo Tiger. In short, American alligators – some 1.3 million of them – are all over the state. Jaws dropped when a massive dinosaur-like alligator was caught prowling the lawn of a Florida golf club during Tropical Storm Eta.. A female Florida alligator lays between 35 and 90 eggs in late June to early July and covers them with a layer of vegetation to keep them warm. At these attractions, visitors can observe alligators at feeding times, hold and pet baby gators and also hear expert lectures, plus maybe have some lunch (gator bites anyone?) Oh snap! The incubation period lasts for 65 days. Females do have a tendency to be smaller than males. A small population is also found in Tamaulipas, in Mexico. They have been known to live 60-80 years in human care. By using our site, you agree to our, American alligators were once considered almost extinct, By the 1950s, endless hunting had almost wiped out the population, By the 1980s, the population managed to recover; gators were removed from the endangered species list, Although confrontations occur, attacks on humans by alligators are still considered rare, Homes and communities now lie on edges of alligator habitats or have water that alligators seek, Alligators are often drawn to storm water ponds of all sorts, Regardless of whether it’s natural or man-made, if there’s a body of water in Florida, there could be an alligator in it, 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 is late April through early June, Females build their nest and lay on average 20-45 eggs in June/July, Eggs traditionally hatch from the middle of August through the beginning of September, Egg, hatchling and nest survival is often stunted by predators (like raccoons) and flooding, Alligators rely on external heat sources in order to regulate their body temperature (which is why they can often be found lying in the sun or on a hot surface), 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit is the range of temperature when gators are most active, Limited feeding takes place during temperatures less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, The hibernation or dormant period for gators is often when the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, Alligator classification: reptiles (direct ancestors: dinosaurs), An alligator’s heart has four chambers (most reptiles have 3), The American alligator is known as the largest reptile in North America, Alligators are the official state reptile of Florida, The alligator is the mascot of the University of Florida, Alligators can go six months a year without eating, Alligators migrate far distances (they walk on roads, crawl through pipes, slug through swamplands), It is difficult to keep alligators contained to one space, Alligators mostly ignore humans and are often unsettled/frightened by them, If hungry, and humans are in the water, alligators may go for the ankles of that nearby human (regardless of age, weight or size), An alligator is able to outrun all human creatures within the first 20-30 feet of exiting the water – making it very difficult for humans to outrun alligators, It is difficult to spot an alligator in the water or on land if it’s in a secluded area, Alligators watch from above the water but they listen and feel vibrations of prey from below the water, Alligators are known to lie on tar roads due to the hot surface, Alligators are prevalent all over Florida, If bit by an alligator, make a lot of noise, use force, poke eyes, Alligator diet includes prey that is easy to find and available often, Adult alligators eat snakes, turtles, smaller mammals, small birds, large/rough fish, Young alligators eat mostly insects, smaller fish, other amphibian creatures/invertebrates, Alligators have been known to eat other alligators and dead animals, Female alligators typically remain under 10 feet long, Male alligators can be much larger than females and over 10 feet in length, If taking a photo or looking at an alligator, remain at least 50 feet away in distance, Do not swim in areas where it’s a known alligator community, Never touch or go near an alligator on a road even if it looks dead, Stay away from water at night and definitely stay away during the breeding season, If you’re in fresh or stagnant water (natural or man-made) in Florida, know that alligators could be anywhere. 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