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(Part 1) Florida's Most Recognizable Reptile: the American Alligator

Florida is known for having alligators, a fact that brings fear to many visitors and residents. But, alligators are an important species in many of our ecosystems. While we continue to develop the State, our chances of encountering an alligator increase, but there are many ways we can learn to coexist with them.
This episode is the first episode in a two-part series and will discuss basic biology and some common alligator behavior.

Episode Transcript:

SHANNON:
This episode is part of a two-part series on Florida's most recognizable reptile, the American alligator. You'll hear about common alligator behaviors and biology in this episode. And stay tuned for Episode Two where we will “myth bust” some common alligator myths.

LARA:
Welcome to “Naturally Florida,” a podcast about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here. I'm Lara Milligan.

SHANNON:
And I'm Shannon Carnevale.

LARA:
This podcast is brought to you by UF/IFAS Extension in Polk and Pinellas Counties.

LARA:
I just got back from a little post-lunch walk around the preserve here, and we got to see two baby alligators on our walk.

(BABY ALLIGATORS CHIRPING)

SHANNON:
Oh, they're so cute. Were they making their little laser gun sounds?

(BABY ALLIGATORS CHIRPING)

LARA:
No, we didn't get to hear that. I do love when I do get to hear that, but no such luck today.

SHANNON:
Oh, that's sad. But a nice walk.

LARA:
It was a nice walk. We got to see an adult alligator too which I know, like, I'm very excited about this. But I know maybe not everybody has the same feelings towards alligators, which maybe we’ll get you there after today's episode.

SHANNON:
I think so.

LARA:
(LAUGHS)So, yeah, we're going to dive in and learn all about alligators today. And I just want to let you know, no matter where you're listening in the state of Florida right now, they are in all 67 counties in the state. So, yeah, no escaping them here.

SHANNON:
I mean, as we like to say, if there's water, there's probably a gator in it.

LARA:
Yes. And that's what we say all the time. Like this is the first year we've really had baby gators here in the preserve. But like we know, they've been around because we've always had the adults. And so it's exciting. This year we get to see the babies. So alligators are super important in contributing to kind of overall function of ecosystems in some areas where they're found.

And they're actually considered what we call like “keystone species,” which we throw that term around a lot. But maybe you want to talk about like how and why they are so important.

SHANNON:
Sure. So beyond the obvious that they're a predator, we call them an “apex predator.” They're almost the top of the food chain. When you have a big gator, there is nothing else that’s going to attack but another big gator. So they are the top of the food chain apex predator. And that's really important. But when we're looking at some of our more natural ecosystems, especially our shallow aquatic ecosystems where they have cycles of wet and dry seasons, they are also known as ecosystem engineers.

So they'll go in and they'll dig out what we call a “wallow,” almost like a hog wallow. And in that deeper area, that's where fish can retreat to and stay in the water when it's a drought. And they also dig gator holes where they kind of back themselves into it and gives them a nice deep area of water. But that is so critical to the other aquatic species in that ecosystem.

LARA:
Yeah. And I think Shannon and I have talked about like maybe back in our stormwater episode, how we have wet seasons and dry seasons in Florida. So you can see why, you know, during the dry season, any little puddle of water is going to be really important to the wildlife in that area. I think one thing, depending how familiar people are with alligators, is like we might know the history of alligators, like they used to be really, really threatened, endangered and not as prominent as they are now.

And they've made a huge recovery and rebound, but they're actually still listed. Can you explain that a little bit?

SHANNON:
Sure. Yeah. So American alligators—while they're very populous here in Florida and a few other southeastern states—you’re right, Lara, they are still listed at the federal level as threatened because of similarity of appearance to the American crocodile, which are, you know, primarily found in South Florida and brackish and saltwater habitats. But to someone who doesn't know the difference, they are very, very similar looking.

And because of that and because the American crocodile is federally listed as threatened, the American alligator is listed as federally threatened due to similarity of appearance.

LARA:
Okay. Yeah, that makes sense. But there are like— even though there's this federal protection around the American alligator—we in the states can also have like specific regulations, like at the state level and an approved management plan. Is that right?

SHANNON:
Yeah, that is right. So because they are so populous in Florida, having them not be listed as actually threatened or endangered allows the state, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to manage the population using harvesting and permitting. But it still allows state law to prohibit the killing, harassing or possessing of alligators because they are still technically listed. So Florida Fish and Wildlife does manage the annual alligator hunt.

If you are living in Florida, especially in central Florida or near some of the more rural counties, you might have had an opportunity to go alligator hunting. It’s a really unique hunting program because you have to apply for a lottery to get a permit. It's a little different than some of our other game species, but the state of Florida is allowed to manage them in that way.

And so that's something that I think is really cool and unique about the alligator.

LARA:
Yeah, I don't know that a lot of people even know that there is a hunting season on alligators. But I think it's a cool way to think about the conservation success that we've had with the alligators—like their populations have rebounded to the point we can now manage them through hunting. And speaking of hunting, but on the other side, (LAUGHTER) I was thinking we could talk a little bit about just how alligators hunt and a little bit about what they might eat and when they're most active and things like that.

So it's my understanding they're mostly hunting like, right, at dawn and dusk.

SHANNON:
Yeah. So we call that “crepuscular.” So they're hunting at dawn and dusk. They're opportunistic. They're going to eat whatever they can get when they're hungry. And that's primarily determined by their size. So younger alligators are going to be eating things like insects, small fish, invertebrates like crawfish or amphibians. And then the larger the gator, the larger the prey.

And then once they get up to that apex predator size, that large sized alligator that's mature, they might be looking at things like larger mammals, like raccoons or birds, other alligators (they are cannibalistic) if the opportunity presents itself, or even a deer or a hog.

So with those larger prey items, they don't have the option of just swallowing it whole, but we're not going to go into too much detail. It's kind of gross, (LAUGHTER) but they'll stash that prey like under a log in a lake or river and let it soften up before they try and tear it apart.

LARA:
Yeah. And alligators actually not only do they have certain times of the day when they're more active, but it's also like temperature dependent because they're cold blooded. They’re “ectotherms”— if you want to have your fancy word of the day. But actually between 82 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit is when they're most active. And then they'll actually totally stop feeding when the ambient temperature— or the temperature around them in the environment— drops below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately more or less.

So, you know, if you're cold blooded, you don't really want to be moving around when you're super cold. You’re still like “slow things down.”

SHANNON:
I mean, to be fair, I think that's true of most Floridians. (LAUGHTER) Below 70 most of us are hanging out inside. It's a bit too cold.

LARA:
Yeah, I'm a total, total cold wimp so I can relate. But it is not cold right now, which again, I said, you know, this time of year is when we're seeing our hatchlings come out. And so I just want to talk a little bit about the overall—like kind of rewind back to April when, you know, breeding really starts to begin and to kind of walk through that whole process.

SHANNON:
Right. Courtship begins in early April. And in May and June, that’s when mating really starts to occur. And that's when you're more likely to have male alligators out and about on the move. They'll be in between water bodies. You might find them in weird places like parking lots. They're really trying to find those ladies.

But when we're talking about mating, it's really a great time to talk about how big alligators get. So they sexually mature around six to seven feet, but it takes females a lot longer to get to that six or seven feet than a male. So the females might be 10 or 15 years old by the time they're sexually mature, but the males will sexually mature around 8 to 12 years. And that's when people start to ask me, “Well, how big do alligators get?”

LARA:
Yeah. And yeah, that's the number one thing. And any time we're out seeing, you know, we see an alligator, we're always trying to guess like “How big is that gator?” “Is that a male or a female?” Yeah. So and we have some records to report on these sizes. So Brevard County holds a record, right?

SHANNON:
Yeah. 14 feet three and a half inches is the largest or longest alligator. Well, at the time that I found this research that was the largest alligator on record, but not the heaviest. He must have been a little bit lanky because there is a big old boy from Alachua County, 1,000 pounds and 43. So 1,043 pounds.

LARA:
That's crazy!

SHANNON:
Gigantic! (LAUGHTER) So those both were almost certainly male alligators. And like we talk about in all of our episodes, you can't always draw really straight lines between what is possible when it comes to wildlife. So females generally won't get bigger than ten feet and the males can get larger than that. So until they're about ten feet, it's really hard—well (LAUGHTER) I would say it's impossible to tell who is who unless you see them in the act or you have one in your hand, which I would not recommend trying to approach a nine-foot alligator and asking it if it's a boy or a girl personally.

LARA:
(LAUGHS) Oh, yeah, that is for sure probably the number one question I get after we see an alligator: “Is that a male or female?” And I just look at them and smile and like, “You'd have to go inside to find out what.”

SHANNON:
Exactly. (LAUGHS)

LARA:
But yeah. So I think you mentioned like how long it takes for them to reach their sexual maturity. And then even once, like, if they're successful and mating and even laying eggs like they have a hard life. Like to make it to another sexually mature adult, you're in like the top percentile if you make it. So I wanted to talk just a little bit about that because I think it's really eye-opening to learn about like just the survival rate of hatchlings

SHANNON:
So a lot of people, especially a lot of Floridians, might be familiar with sea turtles and how few sea turtles really make it to come back to the beach and mate. It’s just like that with alligators. So it's thought that a third of alligator nests are destroyed by predators. And those predators are usually going to be raccoons, but they could have also been destroyed by flooding.

So if they are a younger, inexperienced female, they might have built their nests in an area that floods or has, you know, might be eroded by wave action depending on the size of the lake or water body they're on. So only two thirds of the nests are even going to make it to hatching. But of the nests that survived that, an estimated 24 hatchlings on average will emerge.

And of those 24 that will emerge, it's thought that only ten will live to their first birthday. And of those yearlings, which is what we call an alligator that made it through its first year, eight of them will be able to grow to four feet in length. And the ones that make it all the way to six feet,—which is, as we mentioned a few minutes ago, sexual maturity—
it's only five. So if you think of a nest of 30 to 50 eggs, only five of them might make it to sexual maturity. And there's a lot of variety there when we're talking about cannibalism and hunting, predating. The odds are stacked against them.

LARA:
Yeah. And it's crazy. Even, you know, some of the predators, you don't often think about alligators even having predators. But it's like we talk about the low survival rate and there's other factors that play into that. Not only are raccoons a threat when they're eggs, but raccoons can also get even juvenile alligators. Otters will get juvenile alligators. Wading birds. I've seen pictures from your neck of the woods, Shannon, at Circle B of egrets just taking down young gators, which is kind of cool, but kind of sad at the same time.

SHANNON:
It's like living linguini and they just like go in there and get some pasta.

LARA:
Sadly, it's actually another alligator. Larger alligators are probably the most significant predator to juvenile alligators. So it's yeah, like you said, it's a hard life to be an alligator. So appreciate that when you see them.

SHANNON:
Yeah, nature's harsh. But even with all the odds stacked against alligators, I feel like they've got a really bad reputation, especially among Non-Floridians or people who are visiting. And I don't want to say they didn't earn it because, I mean, they can be those predators, but I feel like this is a great time to talk about some…

(TIMER BELL CHIMES )

Hey, everyone, this is Shannon.

And as you might have noticed, Lara and I have a lot to talk about when it comes to alligators. This is an important topic in Florida, and it's one that we both teach all the time. So we decided instead of cutting the episode short, that we would offer this as a two-part episode. If you have time, you can listen to the second part right now or if you want to listen later, we're going to pick up right where we left off with alligator myths.

Hope you've enjoyed part one and we'll see you for part two.

Thanks for listening to “Naturally Florida,” a podcast about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here. Stay updated on new episodes by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. If you enjoyed today's episode, consider sharing it with a friend. “Naturally Florida” is produced by your hosts Shannon Carnevale.

LARA:
And Lara Milligan.

SHANNON:
If you have questions or suggestions, submit them online at naturallyfloridapodcast.com. This podcast is brought to you by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, an Equal Opportunity Institution. Thank you for listening.

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