Alligators are among the fiercest predators in the country.
Every year, they bite about a dozen people.
And researchers made one scary discovery about what’s behind alligator attacks.
Researchers put the blame on humans for most alligator attacks
Florida has averaged about eight alligator attacks annually over the past decade.
More than 1.3 million of these reptiles are found in Florida, lurking in just about every fresh body of water in the state.
Alligators have a reputation for being ferocious predators.
University of Florida researchers found that people are responsible for most alligator bites.
A new study by the university claimed that in 96% of alligator attacks, risky human behavior was the cause.
Humans either took too many risks or weren’t careful before they were attacked.
University of Florida wildlife ecology professor Frank Mazzotti – one of the study’s authors – argued that the myth of unprovoked alligator attacks was shattered by the findings.
“They eat food that is low on the food chain,” Mazzotti explained. “They are not the apex predator people think they are.”
Researchers at Florida and Centre College looked at the details of 270 alligator attacks.
Centre College biology professor Mark Teshera – the study’s lead author – said that researchers created a ranking system for human behavior.
One would be someone not engaging in risky behavior, like walking on a road.
Four would be highly risky behavior, like swimming in an area with alligator warning signs.
Only 10 bites were categorized as one, while two, three, and four – involving risky behavior – accounted for 244 alligator bites in the study.
None of the bites that were category one were fatal, while the rest of the categories combined for 39 fatal bites.
Alligators are one of nature’s misunderstood animals
Teshera said that alligator bites where humans put themselves in risky situations shouldn’t be considered attacks.
“I wondered if crocodilians had an unwarranted reputation for attacks the same way snakes do,” Teshera explained. “It was important to create a ranking system for risky human behaviors because it showed that the overwhelming majority of bites stemmed from some level of humans engaging in risky behavior in places where alligators live. Therefore, we should not call these encounters ‘attacks.’”
Alligators generally try to avoid humans, but can be drawn to “attractive stimulus,” like splashing or entering their territory.
“By examining these risk categories, and some of the activities people were involved in immediately preceding a bite, we are hoping that it reminds the public how crucial it is to maintain a situational awareness in alligator country, which will hopefully decrease future negative encounters,” Teshera said.
The explosive growth in Florida’s population will put alligators in more contact with people.
“Part of the challenge is all of the new residents,” Mazzotti said. “We are building into their habitat, and there are more and more alligators. I don’t anticipate a decrease in interactions.”
Floridians, being aware of their situation, can lessen the chances of an alligator bite happening.
“I can’t blame them for walking their dog next to a retention pond,” Mazzotti stated. “Stormwater canals and ponds are attractive to alligators.”
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
