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2000 Alligator Harvest Preps Underway

Alligators - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

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The month of May is the peak of alligator mating season, resulting in large 'gators moving between water bodies in search of mates. Their movement makes them more visible, generating many false "nuisance" complaints.

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Mating season for alligators

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

If you've been seeing more alligators recently, that's because it's mating season and some of Florida's biggest gators are up and moving (Steve Stiegler, Assistant Leader, Alligator Management Program, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)....

"Mature males are going to be actively moving around during this time of year so you're more likely to see large alligators."

Steve Stiegler is with the State's alligator management program...

"Obviously, you're more likely to see them in the lakes and rivers and habitats where they occur. But males will also move over land during this time of year, from one water body to another."

The sudden activity follows several months of almost bear-like winter hibernation...

"They go more dormant during the winter when the water chills down."

And while spotting one of the large male alligators may get your attention, they're not the only ones active during this time of year...

"Smaller alligators and female alligators are active this time of year. After the winter, they're trying to fill their stomachs and put a layer of fat on."

For more information, visit www.floridaenvironment.com. With help from its environmental studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.

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When an alligator becomes a "nuisance"

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

It's alligator mating season, and that means the state's largest, male alligators are on the hunt -- sometimes even moving from one water body to another. But their sudden visibility -- often near human populations -- is to some, unnerving (Steve Stiegler, Assistant Leader, Alligator Management Program, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)...

"Since during this time of year they're more likely to be seen, we do get a lot of nuisance calls."

Steve Stiegler is with the State's alligator management program. And he says those travelling alligators are sometimes given the incorrect title of nuisance alligators...

"They can be. Most of our nuisance alligators are nuisances because people either feed alligators or they simply don't know anything about alligators and they fear them. And therefore they call in and claim them to be nuisances."

But before destroying a mature alligator or relocating a younger one -- that's the penalty for being a nuisance -- state agents have a clear definition for what constitutes a nuisance alligator...

"Well, (if) the alligator has no fear of man. And that is primarily due to people feeding alligators."

For more information, visit www.floridaenvironment.com. With help from its environmental studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.

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Protection from nuisance 'gators

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

Complaints about nuisance alligators are usually at their highest this time of year. It's mating season, and that gets the state's largest alligators -- mature males -- up and moving. And when their search for a mate takes them near or through an area populated by humans, people frightened by the sight of the big creatures call to report a nuisance 'gator. Technically though, they're only nuisances when they've lost their fear of humans. Steve Stiegler with the State's alligator management program says when that happens, its curtains for the big 'gator (Steve Stiegler, Assistant Leader, Alligator Management Program, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)...

"Our nuisance alligator trappers are contracted -- in other words they're not employees of the Fish and Wildlife Commission. So their compensation comes from the selling of the hide and the meat from the nuisance alligators."

Destroying an alligator that has lost its fear of humans is a step only taken for large animals...

"We only allow them to take alligators four foot and above. If they're under four foot, they are to be relocated."

The most common cause for an alligator to lose its fear of humans, is from people feeding the animals.

For more information, visit www.floridaenvironment.com. With help from its environmental studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.

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Controlling the alligator population

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

After several weeks of high visibility, Florida's alligator population is about to move from mating season into nesting season. And after that, they'll enter the state's trapping season. Steve Stiegler helps head up the State's alligator management program (Steve Stiegler, Assistant Leader, Alligator Management Program, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) ...

"Florida's alligator population reached a point in the late 80s where we could allow limited alligator trapping and it would help solve nuisance problems and allow the public to take advantage of a valuable resource."

Florida's alligator hunting season comes up in September.

"People apply to be in a random drawing and we select individuals to hunt on specific public water bodies."

The state-sanctioned alligator hunting follows some strict controls...

"We do surveys for alligators on the areas where we do allow harvests. And we've got a very conservative quota on alligators from these areas."

For more information, visit www.floridaenvironment.com. With help from its environmental studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.

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Alligators in the nest

I'm Kevin Pierce with the Florida Environment.

For the past several weeks, you might have seen more alligators than usual. That's for two reasons: it's been mating season and mature male 'gators have been on the hunt for mates. Plus, females and smaller males have been hunting for food after a dormant period in cooler winter waters. Next comes nesting season. Steve Stiegler helps head up the State alligator management program (Steve Stiegler, Assistant Leader, Alligator Management Program, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)...

"The females will begin nesting probably early to mid June and they will build up a nest and lay their eggs and their eggs will hatch out late August to September, and they will be... the females will be spending their time guarding the hatchlings."

It's been an unusually dry winter and the dry season is lasting longer. Which might actually be an advantage for the state's alligator population...

"Well it'll certainly concentrate them. Nesting can be more successful during dry periods because flooding tends to destroy nests. It'll kill the eggs. So unless we have a flooding event, it could be a pretty good nesting season."

The Alligator Management Program is part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

For more information, visit www.floridaenvironment.com. With help from its environmental studies program, we're produced at the Whitaker Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and funded by the Southwest Florida Council for Environment Education.