Florida's State Reptile: The American Alligator

<p>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.</p><p>Celebrate Earth Month with us as we revisit a favorite topic from season 1 with a freshly re-edited Alligator episode.</p><p><strong>Learn more:</strong></p><ul><li>Living with Alligators: a Florida Reality: <a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/uw230" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/uw230</a></li><li>Watch an 8ft+ alligator climb a 6ft fence: <a href="https://youtu.be/z7DMjQJD7vM" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/z7DMjQJD7v</a><a href="https://youtu.be/z7DMjQJD7vM" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">M (<em>ABC Channel 6, WATE</em>)</a></li><li>Information on alligator hunting in Florida (FWC) - <a href="https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/harvest/hunt-guide/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/harvest/hunt-guide/</a></li></ul><p><strong>How You Can Help:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Never feed an alligator </strong>- If you suspect anyone of feeding alligators, intentionally or not, please consider reporting it to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). You will not get anyone in trouble! The 1st offense is a warning and education visit. Call the wildlife alert hotline: 888-404-FWCC (3922). Cell phone users in Florida can dial *FWC or #FWC, depending on the service provider.</li></ul><p><strong>Sources for this Episode:</strong></p><ul><li>Ober, et al., <em>Managing Conflicts with Wildlife: Living with Alligators. </em><a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw393" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw393</a></li><li>Swiman, et al., <em>Living with Alligators: A Florida Reality.</em> <a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw230" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw230</a></li><li>Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program. <a href="https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/snap/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/snap/</a></li><li>Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Alligator Management Program. <a href="https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/alligator/</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida&#39;s natural areas and the wild things that live here!</strong></p><p><em>If you&#39;re active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, </em><em><strong>Naturally Florida&#39;s Listener Observations</strong></em><em>, here: </em><a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations</strong></em></a></p>