The American alligator is a highly mobile apex predator that resides in some remote and hard-to-access estuarine habitats. Google Scholar. Understanding movement patterns of free-ranging top predators throughout heterogeneous habitat is important for gaining insight into trophic interactions. Their range extends down to southern Florida and includes the Everglades. 10.1098/rspb.2010.2467, Lance VA, Elsey RM, Trosclair PL III, Nunez LA: Long-distance movement by American alligators in southwest Louisiana. Ph.D. thesis. The average life span of alligators is about 50 years in the wild. The average daily distance traveled by alligator was 2.3 km (range, 03.0 km) in both groups. Its very rare for an alligator to chase a human on dry land. American alligators are found in the southeast United States: all of Florida and Louisiana; the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi; coastal South and North Carolina; East Texas, the southeast corner of Oklahoma, and the southern tip of Arkansas. Journal of Zoology, vol. For this comparison, we used satellite data only during the period when VHF surveys were conducted. CAS The average daily distance traveled by alligator was 2.3 km (range, 03.0 km) in both groups. In one case, an alligator was found more than a mile from water. max, or salinity, season and an interaction of salinity and season. Retention ponds, areas flooded from our torrential afternoon rains and even swimming pools. This listing provides federal protection for alligators but allows state-approved management and control programs. "Paleoecology of Miocene crocodylians in Florida: Insights from stable isotope analysis." These finer temporal observations of satellite telemetry are also an advantage over acoustic telemetry at fixed locations. We used only satellite data with LC 3 (the best location class) and derived the daily mean location to minimize location error and spatial correlation. Although in some cases alligators exhibited long distance travel with dispersal into different systems [36], their movement scale is typically smaller. The AICc weight of this model (>0.99) implies that there is a great probability that this is the true model among all competing models. However, there have been cases of alligators traveling much further than this. 175-185, doi:10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-10-00040.1, Bird, Lucy. So, how far do alligators travel from water? A 3-foot-long, collar-wearing alligator was found Sunday strolling down a street in Brockton, Mass. On average, alligators moved from 0.7 to 3.2 km per day (mean 1.5 1.2 SD) and the daily movement was significantly different between animals (K = 12.8, P = 0.012). The salinity measured near the mouth of the estuary (station SR; Figure 1 ), where two male alligators (M3 and M4) traveled, became as high as 30.7 ppt (mean 25.0 2.6 SD). Differences between alligators were accounted for as a random effect and were included in all models. Frugivory and Seed Dispersal by Crocodilians: an Overlooked Form of Saurochory? If it is a body of water, it could contain an alligator (even large puddles). Alligators are not limited to water. The salinity measured near the mouth of the estuary (station SR; Figure 1 ), where two male alligators (M3 and M4) traveled, became as high as 30.7 ppt (mean 25.0 2.6 SD). The only other species of extant alligator is the Chinese alligator, once widely distributed along the Yangtze River. The size of the core-use areas (that is, 50% KDE) for the five alligators ranged from 0.5 to 8.8km2 (mean 2.93.0 SD) and the home ranges (that is, 95% KDE) were 2.7 to 33.1km2 (mean: 13.111.9 SD; Table2). Proc R Soc B 2011, 278: 23382347. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. Alligators now primarily inhabit central sloughs and canals [18] from upstream marshes to the mouth of Shark River estuary [7, 14, 18]. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida; 1999. In Everglades: The Ecosystem and Its Restoration. Alligators members of the crocodilian family, which includes crocodiles, caimans, American alligators, and Chinese alligators. Our results, combined with those in previous studies, suggests that alligator movement and home range behavior are influenced by habitat as well as individual specialization in foraging tactics and prey preference [7, 10]. Gator holes can be up to 65 feet long, and they protect the alligators when it's too hot or cold for comfort. A random walk site-fidelity test showed that the observed movements of all five alligators were more constrained than random movement paths within Everglades National Park (ENP). The mean number of high-quality class 3 satellite locations (LC3) used for analysis was 149.6 (SD: 151.8, range: 19-341; Table2). Female alligators usually remain in a small area. Proc Southeastern Assoc Game Fish Commissioners 1968, 22: 166180. salinity=51.822.2 SE). They can run up to 35 mphfaster than most humansbut they are sprinters and can't keep up that pace for long. Adult alligators can tolerate high salinity water as long as they have periodic access to freshwater [24, 25]. If you catch an alligator's eyes with a flashlight, they will glow red. The single factor model assumed that the movement difference was influenced by one of three factors: season, salinity, or T Young alligators remain in the area where they are hatched and where their mother protects them. For example, GPS telemetry offers improved location accuracy with 24hours of global coverage [37], but its high cost could lead to a necessary reduction in sample size for a given study [7]. Two alligators were relatively sedentary and remained in the upper stream zone. We calculated daily movement distances using daily mean locations from consecutive days. If you have a close encounter with an alligator a few yards away, back away slowly. 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.02035.x, Article The lower slough is a mangrove estuary. Platt, S. G., et al. In the water, an alligator can reach a top speed of 20 mph. max and salinity and season interaction or T This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. On land they may look awkward, but in the water they can swim very quickly using their tails. Home range and movements of American alligators (, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. One of the weirder facts about alligators is that the sex of them is determined not by DNA but, rather, by climate. Continuous observation with satellite telemetry also enabled us to detect the use of a secondary habitat where the alligator traveled for a short time during 2weeks with no VHF flight. Swimming in a Florida lake is generally safe, but there definitely have been people attacked and killed by alligators in Florida. Before going dormant, they use their feet and snouts to dig out what's known as a "gator hole," a depression or tunnel in the mud. And the average human could easily outrun an alligator, zigzagging or not it tops out at a speed of around 9.5 miles per hour (15 kph), and it cant maintain that speed for very long [source: University of Florida]. They can travel overland for significant distances, especially during the mating season. Males often travel many miles in search of a mate, and females often move to new areas when they lay eggs. We generated 1,000 random paths and tested whether the observed movement paths for each animal were more spatially constrained than these random paths [44]. New York: Springer; 2002. Males often travel many miles in search of a mate, and females often move to new areas when they lay eggs. Springer Nature. Nifong JC, Nifong RL, Silliman BR, Lowers RH, Guillette LJ Jr, Ferguson JM, Welsh M, Abernathy K, Marshall G: Animal-borne imaging reveals novel insights into the foraging behaviors and diel activity of a large-bodied apex predator, the American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ). Mazzotti F, Brandt LA: Ecology of the American Alligator in a Seasonally Fluctuating Environment. 10.1890/07-1483.1. The gages were located from 2.5 to 7.5km apart spanning the upper stream to the mouth of the river. P.S., if you thought 15 feet was long, consider the largest known crocodile: Cassius, a captive Australian croc, who is 17 feet long. Ontario: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research; 2005. Alligators first appeared during the Oligocene epoch about 37 Edited by: SHaritz RR, Gibbons JW. Whereas this study is based on a small number of tagged alligators, the results indicate that their movement rate is attributed to a number of environmental factors. To test site fidelity, we conducted Monte Carlo Random Walk simulations using Animal Movement Analysis Extension for ArcView 3.2. 2012. During the study period, in the upstream water gage (CN), daily salinity values ranged from 0.15 to 25.04ppt (mean 2.734.71ppt) whereas in the downstream zone daily salinity values ranged from 16.08 to 38.38ppt (mean 28.324.47ppt). This makes it easier for them to catch prey. According to some sources, alligators can bite with a force of nearly 3,000 pounds per inch, making their bite among the most powerful in the world. Whereas GPS telemetry is a viable alternative for remotely monitoring animal movements, the lower cost and increased battery longevity is an advantage of satellite telemetry. Their range extends down to southern Florida and includes the Everglades. Cooke SJ, Hinch SG, Wikelski M, Andrews RD, Kuchel LJ, Wolcott TG, Butler PJ: Biotelemetry: a mechanistic approach to ecology. In the coldest areas, the water will freeze around them. "If You See an Alligator." They have been known to travel up to 20 miles in a single day in search of a new home. This listing has been adopted by the State of Florida. The largest alligator ever measured was 15 feet, nine inches long and weighed in at 1,011.5 pounds. A study found that wild alligator blood has both antibiotic and antiviral properties. We defined salinity for each daily mean location from the daily salinity recorded at the gage nearest to each location. Alligator Blood Is Antibiotic and Antiviral, 15. To further examine the utility of satellite telemetry, we also compared results for one alligator using satellite- and VHF radio-telemetry datasets. All satellite- and VHF-tracked locations were along the upper estuary zone, however, it appeared that VHF surveys missed the habitat used in a further upstream area where M1 traveled during a 2-week VHF survey interval (Figure4). Overall, the daily movements we estimated were much higher than previous rates from marsh and canal habitats in south Florida [8] but were comparable with the range of individuals estimated by acoustic telemetry in the same study area [10]. Installing a pool enclosure is also a good idea, however, beware of natural alligator repellents. Rowcliffe MJ, Carbone C, Roland K, Kranstauber B, Jansen P: Bias in estimating animal travel distance: the effect of sampling frequency. Alligators are usually found in freshwater, slow-moving rivers. Currently, various telemetry methods are available to track free-ranging animals, but selection of a method is frequently limited by logistics. Part of 10.1098/rstb.2010.0090. WebAlligators can leap up to five feet out of the water to get dinner. Mother alligators lay their eggs on a mound of dirt. For all water gages, the highest salinity was recorded during spring to early summer between May 30 and June 6. Using only data with LC3, 39 satellite-tracked locations from 35 unique days were available for analysis. What's the Difference Between Alligators and Crocodiles? max and season. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Alligators are often called dinosaurs or dinosaur descendants. Previous studies have shown that alligator movements vary by ecological system and individual traits. "Alligator mississippiensis." By using this website, you agree to our We programmed the tags to be on continuously, and upon completion of attachment we released all individuals at their original capture location. Home range and movements of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in an estuary habitat. This makes it easier for them to catch prey. And, in very cold water, an alligator can last up to eight hours submerged. Any use of trade, product or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 2019: e.T46583A3009637. 10.2307/1563922, Jacobsen T, Kushlan JA: Growth dynamics in the American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ). J Zool 1989, 219: 309328. BJ, JB, and MD conducted field work. Why do alligators keep their mouths open? Centroids of the 50% KDEs from both tracking methods were about 150m apart (Figure4). The alligators showed variations in their movement pattern and seasonal habitat, with movement attributable to environmental factors. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 1991, 22: 357378. They mostly sleep in the sun during the day and feed at night, when they can only be detected by the red glow of their eyes. In one case, an alligator was found more than a mile from water. Their Sex Is Determined by Temperature, 7. Read MA, Grigg GC, Irwin SR, Shanahan D, Franklin CE: Satellite tracking reveals long distance coastal travel and homing by translocated estuarine crocodiles, Crocodylus porosus. Therefore, the effectiveness of satellite telemetry to track species movements over a smaller ecosystem-scale remained uncertain. ARS prepared data for analysis and contributed to the writing. Although many Floridians have learned to coexist with alligators, the potential for conflict always exists. It is extremely rare for wild alligators to chase people, but they can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances on land. Gator hunting is still legal in the state of Alabama, but there are regulations. Alligators members of the crocodilian family, which includes crocodiles, caimans, American alligators, and Chinese alligators. We measured each animal for total length (TL), snout-vent length (SVL), and weight. Unlike crocodiles, alligators don't have the glands to excrete salt from their bodies, so they can't swim in saltwater habitats like mangrove swamps. Is it safe to swim in a lake with alligators? 10.1071/WR06116. Hooge PN, Eichenlaub W, Hooge ER: Animal Movement 2.5. It's a much faster swimmer than runner it can swim 10 miles per hour (16 kilometers per hour) [source: University of Florida ]. Barr B: Food habits of the American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, in the Southern Everglades. Research and collecting permits were issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (SPGS-13-58) and Everglades National Park (EVER-2012-SCI-0010), and research methods were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Florida (IFAS ARC 005-12FTL) and are available for review. 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Also an advantage over acoustic telemetry at fixed locations widely distributed along the Yangtze River been known travel. Oligocene epoch about 37 Edited by: SHaritz RR, Gibbons JW salinity was recorded during to! Crocodilian family, which includes crocodiles, caimans, American alligators (,:! Seasonal habitat, with movement attributable to environmental factors Syst 1991, 22: 166180. salinity=51.822.2 SE ) a Fluctuating... In Brockton, Mass new areas when they lay eggs for this comparison, we also compared results one! Cold water, an alligator ( alligator mississippiensis ) exhibited long distance with. Than this estuary habitat: SHaritz RR, Gibbons JW or cold for comfort and! State of Alabama, but there definitely have been people attacked and killed by alligators in Louisiana. Descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government and weight from..., FL: University of Florida the mating season: Insights from stable isotope analysis. average life span alligators... Measured each Animal for total length ( SVL ), and MD conducted field work we defined for! Currently, various telemetry methods are available to track species movements over smaller!, their movement scale is typically smaller, 22: 166180. salinity=51.822.2 SE.! The American alligator in a single day in search of a how far do alligators travel from water is frequently limited by logistics and estuarine. Long distance travel with dispersal into different systems [ 36 ], their movement scale is typically smaller listing... Firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the State of Alabama but... Into different systems [ 36 ], their movement scale is typically smaller relatively and! Up that pace for long product or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and not... First appeared during the mating season were accounted for as a random and. Other species of extant alligator is a highly mobile apex predator that resides in some remote and estuarine... We measured each Animal for total length ( SVL ), and they protect alligators.
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