How many alligators in florida

Florida, the 27th state, is the most southeasterly state in the entire United States. As locals and tourists continue to flock to the region to live, retire and vacation, more and more homes and resorts spring into action. The state of Florida presently has over 20 million people and over one million alligators. When it comes to encounters with alligators, the best possible advice is to try your best not to have those encounters by staying a safe distance of at least 50 feet away.

If one bites you, the advice is to make the most noise possible and work hard to get away. Use force if necessary. Tickets Menu. Back Tickets Close. Facebook keywest aquarium Instagram keywest aquarium twitter keywest aquarium youtube keywest aquarium. Where are they found in the United States? How large can they grow? What do they eat? How do you tell males from females? How long do they live? When do they reproduce? How good is their sight?

Do alligators hunt people? Are they endangered? Living With Alligators in Florida. Advice From The Experts. We use cookies to give you the best experience. Defenders fights to defend the Endangered Species Act, which was vital in bringing the alligator back from the brink of extinction, and the Clean Water Act, which protects wetlands and waterways that are important for alligators and crocodiles.

We also work to protect habitat through partnering on the Everglades Restoration Act, protecting national wildlife refuges and national parks, and engaging in state-level environmental planning.

Once hunted intensively for their hides, today, loss of habitat to human development, illegal killing and roadkill are the greatest threats faced by alligators and crocodiles. As sea level rises due to climate change, a significant portion of freshwater habitats may face saltwater incursion or inundation. Help fight climate change by reducing emissions. Support habitat protections, especially for areas vulnerable because of climate change and sea level rise.

South Florida is the only place where you can find both crocodiles and alligators. American crocodiles are found in southern Florida, the Caribbean, southern Mexico and along the Central American coast south to Venezuela.

Both are found in freshwater wetland areas. An estimated 5 million American alligators are spread out across the southeastern United States. Roughly 1. There are more than 1, American crocodiles, not including hatchlings, in Florida. Large male alligators are solitary, territorial animals. The largest males and females will defend prime territory. Smaller alligators can often be found in large numbers in close proximity to each other, because smaller alligators have a higher tolerance of other alligators within a similar size class.

Decidedly less aggressive than the infamous Nile and Australian crocodiles, American crocodiles are shy, reclusive and rarely seen by people. Alligators Eggs generally hatch in mid-August. Crocodiles In April or May, the female crocodile will build a nest of loose dirt in a mound by the water's edge and lay her eggs. She buries the eggs and fiercely guards her nest. When the eggs hatch in July or early August, the female helps carry her young to the water.

But, unlike the alligator, she will not continue to care for her young. Thank you! Main navigation Wildlife. American Crocodile and Alligator. Beluga Whale. Bighorn Sheep. Black-Footed Ferret. California Condor. Florida Manatee. Florida Panther. Canada Lynx. Freshwater Fishes. Freshwater Mussels. Golden-Cheeked Warbler. Grizzly Bear. Horseshoe Crab.

Lesser Prairie Chicken. Marbled Murrelet. Mexican Gray Wolf. Residents tend to seek waterfront homes and that increases the chances of interacting with alligators. They've been found in swimming pools, ditches, garages and more. This woman even caught a gator peeking into the doors and windows of her home.

Alligators smaller than four feet are not large enough to be considered dangerous unless they're handled, FWC says. The small gators eat fish, frogs and other small animals but are typically not large enough to pose a threat, even to small pets. Sometimes however, FWC says the small gators can pose a legitimate problem and must be addressed. In that case, call the hotline at No, the nuisance alligators are killed. FWC says this is because relocated alligators often try to return to their capture site.

If an alligator successfully returns, capturing it again would be necessary and likely more difficult the second time," FWC says. To avoid that problem, the alligators would need to be relocated to remote areas where they wouldn't encounter people, according to FWC.

Those remote areas already have healthy alligator populations with established social structures.