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The Alligator Thread

Mighty_Emperor

Gone But Not Forgotten
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Tuesday, January 13, 6:00 p.m.
By Rob Stewart

Frozen Alligator Found




The cold conditions are blamed for an unusual find in the Poconos. A man found a frozen alligator, four feet one and a half inches long, in Monroe County.

"I thought it was rubber. I belong to the firehouse. All the guys said down there that it is fake. I said, no it is not! It is the real McCoy," said Peter Holthausen.

He's the guy who found the alligator. As a maintenance worker for the Bethlehem Water Authority , Holthausen was walking around the Wild Creek Reservoir. He walks the area streams everyday.

"I said to the boss jokingly, 'hey, I'm not going to walk the streams anymore," laughed Holthausen.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd stumble upon that kind of find. "I said, I got an alligator here. It is dead. And they were like, 'what did you say?' I said 'I got an alligator', and there it was," recalled Holthausen.

When he found the gator, it was half in the water and half out. Completely frozen, but buried from about the waist down. "I stepped back a couple of minutes, I took in the moment," he said.

Holthausen says the gator was probably a pet, too big to care for and that someone probably let it loose in the wild. Even though it froze to death, it is still scary.

Abandoning a pet in the wild is no laughing matter. Letting an alligator go in the wild is not only cruel, it's illegal, with a minimum fine of 0.

http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=1599463&nav=5ka4KAph
 
BREVARD COUNTY, Florida - A Florida man on the prowl to burglarize homes was eaten by an alligator after fleeing deputies, according to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office said that 22-year-old Matthew Riggins of Palm Bay, Florida, whose body was discovered in a Barefoot Bay lake on November 23, drowned as a result of the alligator attack.

During the recovery of Riggins' body, Sheriff’s Dive Team members encountered a large alligator aggressively approaching the area where the body was located. Due to trauma observed on the body, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission trapper was called and an alligator approximately 11-foot in length was trapped and euthanized. A forensic examination of the alligator located remains consistent with the injuries to Riggins inside the alligator’s stomach.

http://news.brevardtimes.com/2015/12/florida-man-eaten-by-alligator-when.html
 
SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Fla., May 31 (UPI) -- Two fishermen in Southwest Ranches, Fla., found a dead body being eaten by two alligators on Monday but the victim's cause of death was unknown.

The Davie Police Department, which patrols in the affluent town of Southwest Ranches, said the body seems to have been in the water for days. The Broward County Medical Examiner is expected to determine a cause of death.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016...tified-human-corpse-in-Florida/6771464692811/
 
The death of a 2-year-old boy at a Walt Disney World resort in an alligator attack has brought back some frightening memories for a New Hampshire man who was grabbed by a gator at a Disney campground in 1986, when he was 8.

Paul Santamaria, of Hebron, said he was horrified for the family of Lane Graves, who was snatched by an alligator in shallow water Tuesday at a beach at Disney's Grand Floridian resort, 3 miles from where Santamaria was attacked.

"I have two little girls the age of the boy that was taken, and it was just something that kind of hit home," Santamaria said.

In 1986, Santamaria's family was staying at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground when he was attacked while feeding ducks at a pond. The gator knocked him down, grabbed his leg and started to thrash around and try to pull him into the water, Santamaria said.



Source: NH Man Attacked by Gator 30 Years Ago Shares His Experience | NECN http://www.necn.com/news/new-englan...s-His-Experience-383216961.html#ixzz4C3hiS1HZ
Follow us: @necn on Twitter | NECN on Facebook
 
WIMAUMA, Fla. (CBS12) — A motorcyclist was thrown off of his bike after hitting a 10-foot alligator early Friday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Authorities in Wimauma say the motorcyclist was headed west on SR 647 when he hit the alligator.

The rider was taken to a local hospital and was treated for non life threatening injuries, according to WFTS.

WFTS says the alligator was barely alive when a private trapper came to remove it from the road.

Authorities say this is the second alligator to be hit in the area this week.

WFTS says a mother of four was driving an SUV when she hit a 9-foot alligator crossing I-75 in Sarasota. Authorities say she didn't suffer any serious injuries.

http://wjla.com/news/offbeat/motorc...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
 
June 7 (UPI) -- An alligator was killed at a Florida airport when it reportedly attempted to strike the wing of a landing plane.

Pilot Brad Pierce posted a photo to Facebook on Tuesday, showing the felled alligator on the tarmac at Orlando Executive Airport, where he said another pilot's plane collided with the reptile.

Pierce wrote:

"A local pilot hit an 11-foot alligator which was crossing runway 7/25 at Orlando Executive Airport (KORL). I was told the pilot was flying a Navajo and the gator jumped up and struck the wing during his landing. The gator was killed instantly and the aircraft sustained damage to the wing. One of the craziest things I've ever seen in all my years in aviation. Welcome to Florida folks!" ...

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/06...oot-alligator/1711496858208/?spt=su&or=btn_tw
 
Gruesome! Hopefully the victim was already dead.

A Florida plane crash scene became even more disturbing when an alligator was spotted devouring the victim’s body.

The wreckage was discovered Wednesday night in the Everglades four days after the plane took off on an unauthorized trip from a flight school, according to WPLG.

The sole occupant of the single-engine Cessna 152 was the pilot, who has not been identified.

Local news station WPLG headed to the scene where helicopter footage showed a body in a swamp next to the wreckage — and an alligator wading nearby. ...

http://nypost.com/2017/07/06/news-chopper-spots-alligator-eating-body-of-plane-crash-victim/

Vid at link.
 
Alligators collecting door to door for refugee amphibians.

Confused alligators turn up on people’s doorsteps because of Hurricane Harvey

Ashitha Nagesh for Metro.co.uk Saturday 26 Aug 2017 9:17 am

People hit by severe flooding because of Hurricane Harvey now have one more thing to worry about – confused alligators.

Gators have been spotted roaming around people’s driveways, hiding under cars, and even popping up on people’s doorsteps after the flooding left them disorientated.

But despite their bad rep, the animals are relatively harmless – as long as you leave them be.

They’re just looking for some higher ground, or somewhere to shelter from the rain.

Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office in Texas tweeted: ‘Expect them to be displaced. Simply looking for higher ground. Leave alone until water recedes.’

http://metro.co.uk/2017/08/26/confu...se-of-hurricane-harvey-6879986/#ixzz4qrStITUz
 
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Check your pool before jumping in.

Florida police have posted photos and video of an 11ft alligator in a family's swimming pool, along with the words "Just no".

Residents in Nokomis called for help after discovering the animal.

The Sarasota County sheriff's office posted film of a trapper dragging the animal from the water on Saturday.

Responding to their own tweet, the officers said the gator managed to "bust right through" a screen door to get to the pool.

Officers posted with the hashtags "Tweet from the Beat" and "Only in Florida".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43610086

Vid at link.
 
Now they're burgling houses.

An alligator measuring 11 feet broke into the home of a resident of Clearwater, Florida on Thursday night through a low window in their kitchen.

Clearwater Police Department posted photos of the alligator inside the resident’s kitchen, along with a smashed window that the animal broke through to get in.

Posting the photos to Twitter, the police department said: “See you later, alligator. A scaly 11-foot-long gator broke into a Clearwater home overnight through some low windows in their kitchen.”

https://www.irishexaminer.com/examv...ida-residents-home-through-window-928142.html
 
Now they're burgling houses.

An alligator measuring 11 feet broke into the home of a resident of Clearwater, Florida on Thursday night through a low window in their kitchen.

Clearwater Police Department posted photos of the alligator inside the resident’s kitchen, along with a smashed window that the animal broke through to get in.

Posting the photos to Twitter, the police department said: “See you later, alligator. A scaly 11-foot-long gator broke into a Clearwater home overnight through some low windows in their kitchen.”

https://www.irishexaminer.com/examv...ida-residents-home-through-window-928142.html
Hard to believe. Needs a bit of Clearwater credence revival.
 
alligator_pool_float.jpeg

Vacationers Find Alligator Lounging on Alligator Pool Float at Their Miami Airbnb

Here are some places in Florida where you can reasonably expect to encounter an alligator: a storm sewer, the end of an airport runway, your local golf course. But this might be a first — while in town for a wedding, Georgia resident Dave Jacobs and his family spotted a gator casually chilling on an alligator-shaped pool float at their Airbnb in South Miami. ...

Jacobs says his family first spotted the gator in the lake outside of their vacation rental Saturday. The alligator seemed to be taunting their dog, Rascal, who spent the day barking and running around the screened-in pool deck. ...

"We thought that was pretty cute," Jacobs says. "Then, the next day, it just showed up in the pool." ...

Jacobs' wife called the Airbnb's owner, who contacted someone from wildlife management. Eventually, the gator wrangler was able to fish the reptile out of the pool. He told Jacobs he's been busy lately because it's mating season for alligators. ...

SOURCE: https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/...alligator-pool-float-at-miami-airbnb-11177604

Three things struck me about this story ...

(1) There's no mention of the dog inside the screened-in pool deck after the gator got inside.:nails:

(2) It would seem gators have no problem with self-referential scenarios.

(3) I wonder whether mating season was the reason the gator mounted the float. If so, it probably was thinking "jackpot!"
 
Now they're burgling houses.

An alligator measuring 11 feet broke into the home of a resident of Clearwater, Florida on Thursday night through a low window in their kitchen.
I've posted about this on the Day Of The Animals thread - interestingly, the report above doesn't mention this, but in the one I cited it says the gator drank their wine. Which is a bit odd.
 
Pittsburgh is overrun by alligators!

PITTSBURGH — Public safety officials in Pittsburgh report having captured another alligator, the third found in the Steel City in the past month.

Officers responded at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday after a 2½-foot alligator was found on the porch of a home in the Carrick neighborhood.

They were able to get the reptile into a box, and animal control officers then took it to Humane Animal Rescue in Homewood.

A 5- to 6-foot-long alligator was found Thursday evening in the Beechview neighborhood. And a 3-foot-long alligator was captured May 18 at the South Side Riverfront Park.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/9/alligator-captured-pittsburgh-third-month/
 
The increasingly frequent encounters are no joke anymore. The gators are getting more feisty. This one took a bite out of a police car ...
Deputies: Alligator bit off piece of patrol car in Louisiana

Sheriff’s deputies in Louisiana say an alligator took a bite out of one of their patrol cars.

WBRZ-TV reports deputies were called Monday to Louisiana Highway 1 in Caddo Parish after someone spotted the gator in the middle of the road.

The sheriff’s office says deputies were waiting for wildlife removal experts to arrive when the alligator chomped off a piece of the front bumper. Deputies estimate the alligator was 8 feet (2.4 meters) long.

A photo from the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office Facebook page shows the reptile in grass next to what appears to be the black rectangular grill of the car.

SOURCE: https://www.apnews.com/dda92ecb47214e6d976c282f0f5fd52c

PHOTOS at Sheriff's Office's Facebook Page:
 
Is it like the situation with the bears, the alligators are just getting too used to people being around and leaving their garbage everywhere?
 
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Pittsburgh is overrun by alligators!

PITTSBURGH — Public safety officials in Pittsburgh report having captured another alligator, the third found in the Steel City in the past month.

Officers responded at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday after a 2½-foot alligator was found on the porch of a home in the Carrick neighborhood.

They were able to get the reptile into a box, and animal control officers then took it to Humane Animal Rescue in Homewood.

A 5- to 6-foot-long alligator was found Thursday evening in the Beechview neighborhood. And a 3-foot-long alligator was captured May 18 at the South Side Riverfront Park.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/9/alligator-captured-pittsburgh-third-month/

It's not illegal to keep an alligator in PA. That's why we have so many. Of all the simple laws to pass... our dimwits can't manage this one. Until someone gets hurt.
 
Vid at link.

'Angry' alligator visits US family's home
The large reptile, known locally as Big George, ambled onto a property on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Fernando Lossado, whose house the alligator visited, said he sees them everyday but "never in the backyard knocking everything down", adding that this one seemed "angry".
No one was hurt during the reptile's stroll.
  • 30 Apr 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-52496494/angry-alligator-visits-us-family-s-home
 
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Vid at link.

'Angry' alligator visits US family's home
The large reptile, known locally as Big George, ambled onto a property on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Fernando Lossado, whose house the alligator visited, said he sees them everyday but "never in the backyard knocking everything down", adding that this one seemed "angry".
No one was hurt during the reptile's stroll.
  • 30 Apr 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-52496494/angry-alligator-visits-us-family-s-home
He only knocked the barbeque over when he was prodded. Otherwise he appears to be basking on the deck. I loved that they appeared to be relocating him in a man-made pond close to houses. A great argument not to let your cats out.
 
Turtley engrossed.

May 28 (UPI) -- A Florida man who received an alert from his doorbell camera checked the footage and was surprised to see a large alligator climbing on the bench on his front door.

Crawford Lewis of Venice said he awoke to find an alert on the app connected to his Ring doorbell camera informing him of movement outside of his front door in the early morning hours of May 21.

Lewis reviewed the footage and watched as a large alligator wandered onto his front porch and climbed atop a bench in an effort to reach a metal plaque bearing the image of sea turtles.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/0...g-bench-to-reach-turtle-plaque/4921590697505/
 
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Mystery gator deaths.

Local resident Johanna Ecke came across the corpses of the reptiles on Sunday while kayaking in Bayou St. John, New Orleans near the 610 overpass on Zachary Taylor Drive.

"I ended up coming upon these five alligators, you know, belly up," she told WDSU. "It was a pretty shocking sight because we've lived here for almost 20 years, I've never seen alligators in a big group like that, let alone all dead. It's pretty concerning, and I know that a lot of people around here who live on the bayou and in New Orleans care about all of these animals."

After spotting the alligators, Ecke notified the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (DWF). The agency says it is now investigating the incident. ...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/f...o-each-other-in-new-orleans-bayou/ar-BB18ORak
 
Mystery gator deaths.

Local resident Johanna Ecke came across the corpses of the reptiles on Sunday while kayaking in Bayou St. John, New Orleans near the 610 overpass on Zachary Taylor Drive.

"I ended up coming upon these five alligators, you know, belly up," she told WDSU. "It was a pretty shocking sight because we've lived here for almost 20 years, I've never seen alligators in a big group like that, let alone all dead. It's pretty concerning, and I know that a lot of people around here who live on the bayou and in New Orleans care about all of these animals."

After spotting the alligators, Ecke notified the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (DWF). The agency says it is now investigating the incident. ...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/f...o-each-other-in-new-orleans-bayou/ar-BB18ORak
Sounds like poisoned meat was left out to kill them.
Maybe whoever it was hoped to come back and make handbags?
 
Now that's puppy love!

A man has rescued his pet dog after it was attacked by an alligator in Florida.

Richard Wilbanks, 74, was walking his dog by a pond in Estero, Florida, when the alligator got hold of the puppy.

Cameras set up by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the fSTOP Foundation captured the incident, which shows Mr Wilbanks grabbing hold of the alligator and freeing the puppy.

The footage was taken as part of the two wildlife organisations’ Sharing the Landscape project, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of respecting wildlife, and the habitats that animals and humans share. ...

https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40087973.html
 
Surprise: Alligators can regenerate their tails when they're young.
Bigger Surprise: No one seems to have discovered this until now.
In an Unexpected Twist It Turns Out Alligators Can Regrow Their Tails Too

Cornered by a dangerous predator, a gecko can self-amputate its still twitching tail, creating a fleeting moment of distraction - a chance for the lizard to flee with its life.

Small reptiles such as geckos and skinks are well known for this remarkable ability to sacrifice and then rapidly regrow their tails. Now, to scientists' surprise, it turns out that much larger alligators can regrow theirs too. But only while they're young.

Juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) can regrow up to 18 percent of their total body length back. This is about 23 cm or 9 inches of length.

What's really cool is this regrowth appears to occur via a mechanism we've not seen before.

By imaging and dissecting the tail regrowth, researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) found alligators do this quite differently from the other animals we know that can regenerate their appendages. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.sciencealert.com/it-s-n...s-young-alligators-can-regrow-their-tails-too
 
Alligator crocs the ice.

OKLAHOMA - Alligators in Oklahoma went into a deep freeze this week as frigid, icy temperatures plague much of the central and eastern United States.

Wildlife photographer David Arbour captured stunning photos of several alligators poking their snouts through the ice to breathe at the Red Slough Wildlife Management Area this week.



gators1.jpg

(David Arbour/ Oklahoma Department of Wildlife)
gators3.jpg

(David Arbour/ Oklahoma Department of Wildlife)

While the alligators may appear to be dead, scientists say they’re not. It’s a survival technique alligators use when the water starts to freeze.

MORE NEWS: 13-foot massive alligator snatches duck from hunters in Central Florida

Adam E. Rosenblatt, a biology professor at the University of North Florida, tells Science Alert that when the alligators go under, they enter what's called "brumation"—a hibernation-like state for reptiles. Their bodies almost entirely shut down and all they need to do is breathe. Basically, the ice sticks to their snouts, locking them in place while their bodies dangle below the surface.

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/f...king-noses-through-ice-to-survive-in-oklahoma
 
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