Anxious Alligators amble during drought.

Fluffy watch out! Check the pool before jumping in! Alligators just aren’t going to take it anymore. With wetlands and watering holes drying up, they are hitting the road.

Last Sunday, one 10-11 foot gator decided to take a stroll across Texas HWY 288 near Pearland / Manvel. What was he thinking? Going to pick up a little snack in the subdivision? Maybe a quick swim in a backyard pool like the mom and baby gators last week in Seabrook? Pondering hitchhiking to Brazos Bend Park to visit family? Unfortunately he became an unexpected speed bump on the road. Caused some serious damage to the speeding car he tried to flag down.

On August 16th, a lady in Wharton County was about to start her morning commute when she saw something sticking out from under her car. A quick look revealed it wasn’t a flat tire as she feared, but a gator tail – attached to a seven-foot gator. Guess she had a really good excuse for being late to work that day.

Brazos Bend State Park is more prairie than swamp with this drought. The park staff say there are still several watering holes in good shape, but all the alligators, birds, and assorted creatures are pretty concentrated around those areas. The nesting alligator moms are a little confused…there was water when the nest was built, but nothing but grass and mud now. There are 30 or so gator nests around the empty ponds, and the moms will tough it out there as long as possible. Unfortunately once the babies hatch, they’ll need to be escape artists/Olympic track stars. Without swamp weeds and water to hide in, the babes will be easy pickin’s for predators including other large gators. Nature’s way of alligator population control. Sharon Hanzick, who has been with the park for 25 years, says that droughts are pretty normal and the park will easily rebound once the rains return.

Meanwhile, the good news about the drought? People have a real chance at spotting wildlife – including the American alligator.

The bad news? Sometimes you can spot them in unusual places.

(Click the sidebar tag “Summer weird stories” for other gator posts)

UPDATE: Sunday alligator hunters (Daniel Hunter Sr. and Daniel Hunter Jr.) found this 14 foot alligator near Lake Livingston/ Trinity area. These guys were hired by Parks and Wildlife as the big guy had become a nuisance and a danger…eating pets and scaring the natives. Unclear if he was relocated to Brazos Bend alligator zone as many are.

Guess I need to make sure that backdoor shuts tight!

Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge

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