Are there gators in california

On Monday, a 2-foot gator was spotted under a car in New York City. The gray wolf Canis lupus is native to California but was driven to extinction in the state by the mids. Alligators range from central Texas eastward to North Carolina. Louisiana and Florida have the largest alligator populations—there are more than one million wild alligators in each state. The two species with the most well-known and documented reputation for preying on humans are the Nile crocodile and saltwater crocodile, and these are the perpetrators of the vast majority of both fatal and non-fatal crocodilian attacks.

Alligator gar can live for many decades. They grow very fast when young, but growth slows with age. In general, for every additional foot the fish grows, its age doubles.

A 3-foot gar is typically about 2. To an alligator, a splash potentially means a food source is in the water. It is best to avoid swimming in areas that are known habitats for large alligators but at the least, never swim alone. American crocodiles Crocodylus acutus are a shy and reclusive species. They live in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean, and occur at the northern end of their range in south Florida.

The American crocodile inhabits brackish or saltwater areas and can be found in ponds, coves, and creeks in mangrove swamps. Named for its ability to survive in full salinity seawater, saltwater crocodiles typically live in brackish low salinity water near the coast. Though crocodiles and their relatives have a negative reputation among people, most species are relatively harmless and would rather avoid people rather than confront them. The current world record alligator was taken by Mandy Stokes, of Thomaston, in August It measured 15 feet, 9 inches long and weighed 1, American alligators can be found in the coastal wetlands of the U.

Southeast, as far north as North Carolina and as far west as eastern Texas. Their range extends down to southern Florida and includes the Everglades. Once considered an endangered species in the late s, American Alligators have made a big comeback in the swampy marsh areas surrounding the Mississippi River. It is estimated that there are just over 30, alligators in Mississippi, with most centralized in the southern portion of the state. Mountain lions live in many different types of habitat in California, from deserts to humid coast range forest, and from sea level to 10,foot elevations.

They generally will be most abundant in areas with plentiful deer. A lot of people hike in this area, and they are not expecting an alligator to be there. Gonzalez said that as far as he knows, this is the first time his agency has shot an alligator, which had been sunning itself on a rock in Alameda Creek near Niles before wardens found it and shot it. Fremont police posted the unusual photo of the gator sunning in the creek on their Facebook page Tuesday, sparking off speculation about where it came from and how it got there.

The news of its death prompted some NBC Bay Area viewers to speak out against the killing, questioning why the reptile couldn't be sent to a zoo or rescue facility.

Fremont resident Sam Cuellar agreed: "I think it should have been released. It's only four feet long; it's not that big.

It's illegal to buy or sell alligators in California, and violators could face hefty federal and state fines, according to Aron Dickey, owner of the Reptile Room in Fremont, where snakes and lizards, but no gators, are sold. Dickey suspects that someone illegally bought the alligator, thought it was cute, and then got scared when it grew to 4 feet long. It's dangerous to do that, Dickey said, because the alligators will start to prey on ducks, bird and native wildlife. Animal authorities believe that the gator was being fed cats because several dead cats were found nearby.

Jaxson's owners say they fed the cats, they didn't feed the cats to Jaxson, who ate nothing but chicken. And now they're making statements that shouldn't be making because nobody's feeding cats to the alligator. We got plenty of money to feed whatever we have to feed," Gorecki said.

Officials say the alligator is 37 years old. The owners are facing citations for maintaining a wild animal without proper care and maintenance and without proper permits.

They could face further charges as well. Related topics: van nuys los angeles bizarre distraction buzzworthy southern california animal news california.

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