What To Know About Alligator Mating Season In Florida

Love is in the air as alligator mating season beings in Florida this spring.

Once we hit May and June, the gators start feeling frisky. The warm weather is a gator aphrodisiac, apparently. And there are plenty of them in our sunshine state. How many would you guess? The answer is about 1.3 million.

Some people fear that gators act more aggressive during mating season. This isn’t entirely true. People may believe this because they are seeing them more frequently during these months. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are more aggressive.

Lauren Claerbout is with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She talks about alligator mating season in Florida and explains, "Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, but it's even more rare for alligator mating and nesting to be associated with a human alligator conflict. It's rare for alligator mating and nesting to be associated with human alligator conflict. However, right now the weather is warming up, so alligators are more active and visible which does increase the potential for conflict.”

So what should you do during this mating season to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of your children and pets. First of all, keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings. Make sure your children and pets are well supervised around bodies of water, as you should any time of year.

Secondly, never ever….and I mean NEVER feed alligators. The worst thing that could happen would be for gators to associate humans with food and get comfortable enough to get close to us. As far as gator bites go (not the ones humans order at restaurants), they don’t happen too frequently. According to the FWC, collection of data over the last decade reveals that there are about 8 unprovoked bites, on average, each year that require serious medical attention. And usually the bite because food, or their perception of what is food, is involved.

One other behavior you might notice during mating season is that female alligators may hiss at anyone who might be a threat to their baby gators. Be aware of your surroundings during this alligator mating season in Florida.

Remember what happened last year?

In the world of Florida alligators, courtship typically begins during the month of April. May and June are the usual alligator mating season. Though we are only two weeks into the month, there have already been a handful of reports in the state detailing strange alligator behavior.

Last week in Oviedo, a crew of public workers were surprised to find a five-foot alligator staring at them while examining a stormwater pipe. They had been tasked with looking into various potholes in Seminole County.

"Using a four-wheeled remote-control robot with a built-in camera, the team scrutinized the underground piping for any defects or blockages, only to discover a 5-foot alligator blocking the drains," Newsweek reported. Apparently, the crew followed the alligator through the pipe. Eventually, their robotic camera got dismantled and the alligator roamed away. The Newsweek report has still of the incident.

In the Fort White area, three women were casually floating down the Ichetucknee River on tubes. Suddenly, they were greeted by an alligator hissing at them. The alligator was resting upon a log. It was believed to be protecting its nest. Fox 13 secured some video clips of the strange sounds.

Last week, a Kendall resident found a not-so-friendly alligator enjoying a swim in their backyard pool. UPI reported that wildlife officials responded to the call and attempted to capture the 10-foot gator. The pool was not screened in. There is also a body of water close by where they believe the alligator might have come from. A crew member who came to the rescue explained that any alligator captured over four feet will be put in captivity.

Finally, Field and Stream has footage of other recent strange occurrences that have happened during alligator mating season. These include one alligator bending a metal fence, one walking across the street in Naples, and one at the front door of a house.

Here are a few things to know about the May and June alligator mating season in Florida.

You are more likely too see an alligator during mating season. Mating season aligns to this time of year partially due to the weather warming up. This in turn makes the alligators more comfortable with coming out. It was not uncommon for alligators to be seen more than usual this past winter due to the weather being warmer this year.

These are the times of day when an alligator is most active. They can be found in any body of water. They react to any splashing of water. At water's edge, they likely think any movement is an animal. Lower water levels also increase their movement abilities.

There are some general precautions you can take during alligator mating season. You should never feed them. In Florida, it's against the law to feed any animal living in the wild. It also makes them more comfortable around humans when you you feed them; it also teaches them to associate people with food. Keep your pets away from alligator friendly areas and bodies of water that have rising waters. Be aware that the size of the alligator does not matter in regards to how much damage it can cause. Smaller sized are also dangerous. If you were being chased by an alligator, it is best to run away in a straight line.

Lastly, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can always be contacted here, where you can also find additional information.