08 de abril de 2022

Spring has sprung, and like all of us, the alligators have taken notice!

If you’ve been out near your local pond, marsh, or lake lately, you may have seen an alligator coming out of its winter brumation—a long period of dormancy during which they don’t eat and spend most of their time in underground dens. Alligators will emerge in response to the warm spring weather and can be seen basking on banks and sandbars this time of year.

North Carolina’s alligators are currently preparing for the breeding season and many are already out and on the move looking for mates. Breeding takes place May through June after which females will begin building nests. Hatchlings won’t start emerging from nests until late August.

This is a busy time of year for both people and alligators and, as a result, NCWRC receives the most calls from the public about alligator sightings during the month of May. Instead of calling, you can report when and where you see alligators by uploading your photos to the “NC Wildlife Alligators” project here on iNaturalist! Access our Step-by-Step Guide for participating in the NC Alligators project here.

Seeing an alligator can be a thrilling experience, but for your safety and theirs, always remember to keep a safe distance from any alligator you may come across—people should never get closer than one school bus length from a wild alligator, no matter its size. Alligators are a protected species and any feeding, touching, or harassing is unlawful. Please do your part to ensure peaceful coexistence with our wildlife neighbors.

For more information about living alongside alligators, or for more information about Alligators as a species, please visit ncwildlife.org/alligator or download one of these fact-packed PDF documents:

American Alligator Species Profile

Coexisting with Alligators

Publicado el abril 8, 2022 05:04 TARDE por ncwildlife ncwildlife | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

01 de junio de 2017

Provide Input on Alligator Management in North Carolina

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. Alligator Task Force, established by resolution of the Commission, are holding six public forums in June to present a draft of the N.C. Alligator Management Plan and receive public input on the plan.

All forums will begin at 7 p.m. Dates and locations are listed on the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s website. An online comment form is available for those who cannot attend a public forum but would like to offer input.

The draft Alligator Management Plan, developed by the N.C. Alligator Task Force, provides biological information on alligators in North Carolina, identifies knowledge gaps and additional research needed on alligators, identifies areas where alligators may be overpopulated, and recommends biological and social strategies to address alligator management issues. Each sentence of the plan is numbered to make commenting on specific portions of the plan easier. Reviewers can refer to the line number when providing comments. Comments on the plan will be accepted until June 25. Along with the online comment form, interested people can offer input by mailing or emailing comments to Allen Boynton, Wildlife Diversity Program Coordinator, at allen.boynton@ncwildlife.org or 1722 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1700.

The Alligator Task Force, along with the Commission, will present the final draft of the N.C. Alligator Management Plan to Wildlife Commissioners at their July 26-27 business meeting in Raleigh.

For more information on alligators in North Carolina, download the American Alligator profile or Coexist with Alligators documents.

Publicado el junio 1, 2017 02:17 TARDE por ncwildlife ncwildlife | 1 comentario | Deja un comentario

10 de abril de 2017

Observers should exercise caution when viewing wild alligators

Seeing an alligator in its natural environment is an exciting experience! For your own safety, it's important not to get too caught up in the moment to remember to keep a reasonable distance between you and the alligator.

You should also never feed an alligator. Alligators tend to be shy and fearful of humans by nature, but can become a safety issue if they are habituated to being fed by people. It is unlawful for anyone to intentionally feed an alligator. If you know of someone poaching, harming, harassing or intentionally feeding alligators in North Carolina, please call our Wildlife Enforcement Hotline at 1-800-662-7137.

You can also find more helpful tips on coexisting with alligators here.

Publicado el abril 10, 2017 06:18 TARDE por ncwildlife ncwildlife | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

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