Discussion»Questions»Animals (Wild)» Alligators and snakes in the floodwaters of Florida streets? A real problem or isolated instances? What do alligators eat?
They eat YOU. Or anything they can get their teeth into.
They are like mini-dinosaurs. And the problem is in Texas as well.
Floridians venturing outside to check their homes for damage after Hurricane Irma should look out for more than just debris: They also should beware of alligators.
The Florida Department of Health tweeted Monday morning that residents needed to "be alert to wildlife" because "snakes, alligators, etc. may have been displaced as a result of strong winds or rain."
An estimated 1.3 million gators live in the Sunshine State, parts of which saw 130 mph winds and up to 20 inches of rain over the weekend. Irma had weakened to a tropical storm by Monday, but the risk of flooding—and migrating alligators—remained. That's because alligators often deal with extreme weather by hiding out in safe spaces like driveways and porches, as the Texas Gator Squad explained last month, ahead of Hurricane Harvey.
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A few people in Florida spotted reptiles on the loose in Irma's wake. In Melbourne, Florida, a fire department employee took a video of an alligator walking near a bus stop, Florida Today reported. The Miami Herald, meanwhile, shared a video from a local reader showing an alligator sitting poolside during the storm.
Gators and snakes are always around...but even more so because of the extra water. Gators eat meat including people and pets.
This post was edited by my2cents at September 12, 2017 9:50 AM MDT
An alligator will eat anything. The snake problem is complicated by the fact that the everglades are now home to pythons and constrictors. Even under normal conditions the gators and people were crossing paths too often. The result was that gators were in peoples yards, in ponds, drainage ditches and family swimming pools. These reptiles have lost much habitat. For years they were protected because they were on the verge of extinction. Their numbers now are considerable and their space is practically non existent.
