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New update (August 2011) - Where, exactly, will gators post up (and not be removed) in Virginia?
Click here to find out!
I have a great fascination with the American Alligator. I grew up in near-tropical southeastern Virginia, and during the summers of 100% humidity and 100+ degree temperatures, trust me, it seemed like a great place for alligators to live. But even as a teenager, it seemed like the more books I consulted and the more people I talked to, the greater the consensus was that alligators do not live in Virginia. Never have. Never will. Out of curiosity only, I've spent 15 years poking and prodding to find out why not - after all, the Alligator River (which is full of wild, reproducing alligators) is just a few dozen miles from the Virginia border. And it's connected to Virginia via a system of deep, secluded canals and swamps. So why not, then?
Large mature American Alligator in Alligator River NWR, less than 50 miles south of the NC-VA border.
Photo: Alligator River NWR Blog
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In the 1980s and 1990s, the
US Fish and Wildlife Service and
US Geological Survey decided to get a better handle on site-specific needs of different animal species by creating
a library of Habitat Suitability Indices (HSI). These models were made to show whether an actual area within a farm, state park, refuge, etc would be a suitable habitat for an individual species. Based on a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, the HSIs (most commonly developed for game species or endangered species) frequently over- and under-shot the ability of wildlife to survive in adverse conditions, but generally provided good "frame of reference" - i.e. - very good, very bad, or OK/marginal habitat. Nothing wrong with that.
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So the American Alligator, a federally threatened species, has
its own HSI, which was developed in 1987. It's a pretty good one - stating up front that alligators only live as far north as North Carolina. Their source (cited, even)?......a field guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians published in 1958.
Wow, not so scientific. In addition, it also states that the model only applies to the marshes of Louisiana and Texas. Even though the document is simply titled, "HSI Models: American Alligator." There is no HSI for the Atlantic coastal plain "sub-population" of alligators.
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The current (academically accepted) range of the American Alligator.
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So if the American Alligator can possibly survive north of the VA-NC border, then why isn't it already there?
Railroads constructed for timber harvest in the Dismal Swamp, late 1800s
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Two factors - alligator hunting (for skins) and swamp timber harvesting (resulting in increased swamp access and even more gator hunting) - decimated the American Alligator population in the late 1800s and early 1900s, notably the 1920s-1940s. In 1967, USFWS listed them as federally Endangered, and following 20 years of full protection, they were re-classified as Threatened in 1987. The primary remaining threat to alligators is the loss of marsh habitat to real estate development. However, healthy, reproducing populations are documented as far north as northern North Carolina, within 20 miles of the Virginia border.
Dismal Swamp, current condition
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So we can agree that:
- alligators (wild, not abandoned pets) are living within 20 miles of the VA-NC border.
- alligators are reproducing in at least two distinct areas within 70 miles of the border.
- Mature alligators are living (perhaps reproducing) within the Dismal Swamp NWR, which crosses the border.
So, have any truly wild alligators been spotted in Virginia recently? And if so, what is their deal? How did they get there?
My best synopsis of recent reports (2005-2009) of Alligator sightings north of the border. Many are clearly released pets. A few others (mature individuals) seemed less likely to be so. Do you like the cartoon gator? It's as scientific as a 1958 field guide!
Alligators (likely wild) have been spotted recently in the Back Bay area of Virginia Beach, the Virginia portion of Dismal Swamp NWR, and the Dismal Swamp Canal near the VA-NC border. Many other gators, likely abandoned pets, have been captured to the north and west, where they have survived winters - multiple winters, in some cases - and are feasting on turtles, fish, and small mammals. Those animals all happen to be alligators' favorite foods, and they occur "aplenty" in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland stormwater ponds and reservoirs.
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From talking to local birdwatchers and hunters, my best guess is that alligators, perhaps young males, are moving north into Virginia through the Dismal Swamp Canal and the Intracoastal Waterway. I've written before on the Dismal Swamp Canal (second half of
this post), as has my brother the Tugboatdude, in a blog ironically titled "
Dismal Swamp Canal."
And here. And of course, I can't find the post where he's holding a big but tattered swamp bass. Tough luck, buddy.
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Historically, the winters in southern Virginia may have been a limiting factor on the hibernation of alligators - meaning that any gators that chose to hibernate in Virginia may have frozen to death, or not successfully reproduced the following summer. The North Carolina towns nearest the border have an average January temperature of 28 - 33 degrees farenheit, while the Virginia towns near the border have an average January temperature of 26.5 - 32.6 degrees farenheit. Given seasonal variability and our changing climate, this difference does not seem significant. I was pretty surprised by how close the numbers are.
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So where and when in Virginia should we expect to start seeing consistent year-to-year alligator activity? That'll have to wait for Part II.
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Thanks for reading!