Scale Up for National Gator Day

Did you know that our beloved Florida is the only place in the world where alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) and crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) coexist? It's true.

These prehistoric apex predators glide silently through Florida's waters, including our very own Leisure Lake. As May 29, National Alligator Day, approaches, be sure to visit our fabulous gazebo and observe our ancient neighbor, Fisher, with renewed respect—and distance.

Celebrating the American alligator’s successful recovery from the brink of extinction is a critical reminder of the delicate balance required to coexist with Florida's apex predators.

Alligators and crocodiles play a vital role in maintaining the balance of Florida’s ecosystem. Besides keeping fish populations healthy and plant-eating mammals in check, they are ecosystem engineers, excavating gator holes with their snouts, tails, and feet to clear muck and vegetation from depressions in limestone or peat. These holes remain filled with water during dry seasons, when the rest of the marsh dries up, providing essential water for other wildlife and altering the landscape in ways that naturally prevent or slow fires.

Because alligators constantly move around these holes, they keep the area immediately surrounding the water clear of dry grass and brush, which serve as natural firebreaks. When a wildfire sweeps across a dry marsh, it often hits these patches of open water and cleared mud, where there is no fuel left to burn, and stops or slows. Fish, turtles, and frogs retreat to these holes to wait out the heat and smoke, helping the ecosystem recover once the fire passes.

Under Florida law, feeding crocodilians, including alligators and crocodiles, is a criminal offense, but the biological consequences are even more severe. Fed alligators quickly learn to associate humans with food and begin seeking humans as a food source, approaching docks, boat ramps, and backyards more closely.

Besides illegal direct feeding, indirect feeding, which, though unintentional, is equally damaging to the gator’s behavior, includes tossing fish carcasses, leftover bait, and food scraps into the water instead of properly disposing of them. And please remind those who enjoy feeding waterfowl, shorebirds, and turtles that it is harmful to these animals’ delicate digestive systems and also rings the dinner bell for every gator in the neighborhood.

Under state policy, nuisance alligators are harvested—killed—rather than relocated. They’re captured and euthanized to ensure public safety because habituated alligators seek out humans. By observing these magnificent keystone species from a safe distance, we can prevent them from becoming nuisances and help ensure peaceful coexistence for all.

Croc on,

Cherie & Vince