Gator lessons 101

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

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Wildlife Expert Justin Matthews gave a group of Manatee County students a lesson in the dangers of gators Monday. Watch the story Watch Video

MANATEE COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- You're never too young to learn about the dangers of gators in Florida.

Wildlife Expert Justin Matthews gave a group of Manatee County students a lesson in the dangers of gators Monday at the Wildlife Education Center at Mixon Fruit Farms.

Matthews said it's alligator mating season.

Just last week an 8-foot gator made national headlines when it broke through a Pinellas County woman's porch and ended up in her kitchen.

A man was attacked on Saturday as he removed golf balls from a pond at a Tampa golf course.

Matthews blames the incidents on people.

"All you have to do is feed a gator one time," Matthews said. "And he learns to associate people with food and that's a dangerous animal."

Gator Lessons 101:

TIP: Don't feed alligators.

1. Warning signs that you're getting too close to a gator: a hissing noise.

2. No need to run in zig zags- just get out of the way quickly.

3. Stay at least 20-feet away from the water, like a pond or lake, where there might be gators.

To report a nuisance alligator call: 1-866-FWC-GATOR (1-866-392-4286).

Matthews says all alligators aren't bad. He said they help with the eco-system by keeping the turtle population under control and he said they also help with drought conditions.

For example in the Everglades, they dig holes in the ground making more water available for other animals.

Gator Myths and Facts

Myth: Alligators live for hundreds of years.
Fact: An alligator's lifespan is usually estimated in the range of 50 years or more. In captivity their lifespan may be longer.

Myth: Alligators can grow to over 20 feet in length.
Fact: The longest recorded length for an alligator is 19' 2' and was found on Marsh Island, Louisiana.

Myth: Only the tail of the alligator is edible.
Fact: Not just the tail, but all of the meat of the alligator is edible.

Myth: Alligators are slow moving animals when they are out of the water.
Fact: Alligators can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. However that speed can only be maintained for a very short distance.

Myth: To run away from a gator you should run in a zig zag pattern.
Fact: The commonly-repeated instruction to run in zig-zags is useless: the quickest way to put distance between the animal and you is to run away in a straight line away from the gator and its habitat.

More gator info from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Service