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Rains Have Wildlife On The Move This Week

    We looked out at the garden on Monday and what do you think we saw? An alligator. That is right, wandering through the grass! That doesn’t occur every day, but with the rain, he thought it was time to go for a stroll.
    Only four feet long, he looked like a black log in the grass. Florida has a plethora of alligators, but we didn’t want to accidentally walk over him or step on him. He wasn’t alarmed about us at all and seemed at home like a lizard or frog might be, just relaxing in the weeds.
    Should we be alarmed if there is an alligator in the yard? No, not if we aren’t feeding him and have no small pets in the yard.
    Alligators are attracted to prey that fit in their mouth in one bite, they swallow whole critters. This little guy could have swallowed a frog or snake, small fish, maybe a little turtle, but we were way too much of a bite to interest him. There is an average of seven alligator attacks per year in Florida. Some of those are provoked by taunting, feeding, or poor awareness of surroundings.
    Florida is home to 1.3 million alligators right now due to conservation efforts. In the 1960s the alligator was put under federal protection as an endangered species due to dramatic reductions in animals. What was killing off the alligators then? Development, draining of wetlands in the Everglades and Miami area, and over hunting for leather for foreign markets. From 1870 until 1930 the leather markets took thousands of gators a year.  It was estimated that during the 1800's one buyer in the Big Cypress was buying 5,000 gator hides per month. From 1965-1971, over 140,000 hides moved out of Florida not counting poaching of alligators.
    The new booming population in Florida is again putting pressure on alligators not through hunting, but through habitat loss. Wetlands are being filled and drained and housing subdivisions are being built. An average of 900 people move into Florida each month erasing former habitat for all of Florida’s wildlife.
    We all want Florida to remain the bastion of wildlife, nature, and beauty that we enjoy and call home. That means learning how to live with wildlife of all sorts and learning to share space.
Legal tag hunting of alligators helps to keep the largest gators under control and there are many avenues for dealing with gators that are deemed a threat to public safety.
    On average, the 23 million people who call Florida home are a much bigger threat to alligators than the gators are to humans. It is actually against the law to feed or torment alligators under federal law.
    Common sense behavior like not swimming at dark when gators feed, not wandering around in swamps and wetlands without looking and listening for alligator noises can go a long way to promoting human safety. Keeping dogs and leashes away from the lake edge also helps. Dogs are much more likely to be attacked by alligators than humans because they fit the prey profile, bite-sized. Small children are also at risk from predators and should never be left near water to play alone.
    If you have more questions about living in Gator Country check out the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) office or call 1-866-FWC-GATOR. If the alligator is deemed to be a threat to the public, a licensed trapper will be sent to remove it.
    Some of the information for this article was found in “Living with Alligators” and Source: “THE PAST AND PRESENT STATUS OF THE ALLIGATOR IN FLORIDA” by TOMMY C. HINES, Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, Gainesville online articles.
    This week we not only have much-needed rain, but also an alligator in the yard. We would love to see what you are growing in your garden this month.  We would love to share your nature photos too. This is your place to share. You can also email photos and names to hollynewby1@aol.com. You can also share garden news to www.thenorthlakeoutpost.com/contactus.