Romantic Reptiles: How long will alligator mating season last?

Reporter: Tiffany Rizzo Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Alligators
FGCU researchers are studying alligators that live near humans. (CREDIT: FWC)

With more than one million alligators in Florida, the approaching mating season will have locals spotting the cold-blooded reptiles in some unlikely locations.

Alligator mating season will run from May to June; however, romance can be spotted well before as the reptile can begin searching for a mate in early April.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission states that a female will begin building a nest made from soil, vegetation, and debris and lay roughly 32-46 eggs in late June.

Incubation requires approximately 63-68 days, and hatching occurs from mid-August through early September.

Nearly a third of alligator nests are destroyed by predators, with an average estimate of 24 hatchlings emerging from the incubation process per nest.

The number continues to dwindle as only 10 of said hatchlings will live up to one year. According to the FWC, an estimated half of the alligators will reach maturity of 6 feet.

Females can grow upwards to 10 feet but will rarely exceed that length. Males can grow much larger, with records by the FWC of a gator growing as long as 14 feet in Brevard County.

The largest recorded alligators in Florida by the FWC. Credit: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Alligator sightings are expected to increase during this period, with experts advising locals to be cautious around bodies of water due to the potential risk of an encounter.

If engaged with an alligator, the FWC advises not to feed them, keep a distance from yourself and your pets, and only swim in designated swimming areas during the daytime.

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