Love bites: Gators on the loose in Florida as mating season begins
The warmth is waking up these cold-blooded reptiles, but the mating season is another reason you may see one
Gator encounters rise on the Gulf Coast of Florida as they enter mating season
Gator mating season is upon us which means if you see a gator out and about, keep your distance.
TAMPA, Fla. – Alligators are starting to make public appearances in Florida.
The warmth is waking up these cold-blooded reptiles, but the mating season is another reason you may see one. Recently, one was found on the highway, and some were found walking throughout neighborhoods and even approaching the front doors of homes. In each case, local police or deputies responded.
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Alligator trapper Karina Sura Paner with Tampa's Croc Encounters said alligators, along with other reptiles, get energized when it’s warmer outside. You’ll especially see them on hot, sunny days following a cold night and are less likely to see them out during storms.
"If it's in a situation where it could be dangerous, like crossing a road or in your pool, you definitely want to call the state to get that alligator removed," Sura Paner said.
It’s also alligator courting and mating season, which started in April and continues into June. During this time, male gators get aggressive. Larger males tend to push smaller male gators out of a pond, leaving them to search for a new one.
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Some gators may also go pond to pond looking for a new mate. This will all slow down around July once the female gators start to nest their eggs.
About one-third of alligator nests are destroyed by predators – mainly raccoons – or flooding. The average clutch size of an alligator nest is 38. For nests that survive predators and flooding, an estimated 24 live hatchlings will emerge, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
Nearly all alligators become sexually mature by the time they reach approximately 7 feet in length, although females can reach maturity at 6 feet, the FWC states. A female may require 10 to 15 years and a male 8 to 12 years to reach these lengths.
The National Wildlife Federation states alligators can be found along coastal wetlands of the Southeast and as far north as the Carolinas and west to Texas. In Florida, there are about 1.3 million of them, according to the FWC.
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If you ever encounter one, experts recommend keeping your distance and don’t feed them.