The mating season for Texas alligators typically takes place between March and May. In the coastal marshes of Texas, alligators display remarkable social behavior during mating season. For both our safety and theirs, understanding and respecting their behaviors become increasingly important as the season progresses.
Romance in the marshes
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Alligator Program leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Jonathan Warner highlighted that alligators exhibit remarkable social behavior during mating and nesting, often displaying vocalization. In the early mornings of coastal Texas marshes during this time of year, males bellow at females, who respond in kind, creating an iconic sound.
Warner mentioned that studies reveal female alligators nesting in a given year often have eggs fertilized by different males, known as multiple paternity. Typically, a dominant male oversees the mating process, maintaining a hierarchy and social structure, rather than a random occurrence, resulting in a drawn-out and significant event.
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The mating process takes place in the water, where many people in Texas engage in activities such as fishing, kayaking, and bird watching. Warner emphasized the importance of avoiding approaching mating alligators, but even more critical is steering clear of their nests. Under no circumstances should anyone approach or walk up to an alligator nest.
“It’s rare to see it in the first place but there’s not really a threat there. Where the potential public safety issue is and what folks need to understand is you should never approach an alligator nest. The chances that you bump into one are rare,” Warner said. “You might have been to a state park and you think you see a nest, don’t approach that as the females do guard the nest and will exhibit aggression and that’s to protect the incubating eggs from predation which comes from hogs and raccoons mostly in Texas.”
The highest concentration of alligators in Texas is found in the coastal counties, particularly in southeast Texas. However, alligators are also present in other regions, such as the piney woods in east Texas and south Texas, where habitats vary significantly. Although they occasionally appear in stock tanks along the rivers in the hill country, at the edge of their distribution, nesting and mating activities are not common in these areas.
“Normally you’re going to be in some sort of a lake or marsh or water body and then the females will nest on the shoreline. It might be hidden behind some vegetation. It’s pretty recognizable when you see an alligator nest,” Warner said. “You’re not going to you’re not going to get a nest in residential settings for the most part. But still always smart to keep an eye out and be safe.”
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After mating the mothers proceed to nest. Following a 65-day incubation period, the hatchlings are usually freed from the nest, typically by the mother. There are anywhere between 20 and 50 eggs laid by a mother alligator at the nest.
Warner highlighted the remarkable maternal care exhibited by new mothers among alligators, which is notably high compared to other cold-blooded animals. During the incubation period, mothers fiercely defend the nest and remain in the vicinity, responding to the chirping calls of the hatchlings from within the eggs. Additionally, young alligators display distress calls and are surprisingly vocal, with the mother ultimately freeing the hatchlings from the nest.
“In most cases, those babies will stay with the mother for up to a year for a while. And I see has been at that tiny size, everything snacks on a baby gator, including fish, birds, other alligators, and snakes,” Warner said. “That helps them with early survival in life and sometimes even two years or longer, you’ll see babies of different age classes with mothers. They’re very protective of their young as well.”
Warner observed that when people encounter an alligator near a pier, there’s often a perception that they are inactive creatures. However, he noted that alligators have a complex ecology, exhibiting intricate social behaviors and strong maternal instincts. Contrary to common belief, they are not merely occasional predators, but rather highly evolved and socially sophisticated animals.
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“There’s a lot of interaction between alligators themselves in the marsh, just as far as dominance structure and territorial males. And they’re also cannibalistic animals. The bigger males will target and consume smaller alligators and bigger ones will just eat them as a protein source,” Warner explained. “Cannibalism is a big part of the alligator world as well. Very complex animals from probably just from the context of what most people think.”
Living in Texas with alligators
Do not feed alligators. It is dangerous and illegal in Texas.
Warner pointed out that many people underestimate the presence of alligators in southeast Texas, particularly with the influx of newcomers to cities like Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth. Although these metropolitan areas don’t have abundant alligator populations, they still inhabit the surrounding habitats, leading to potential encounters for those unfamiliar with their presence. However, in areas like Port Arthur and its vicinity, where wild alligators roam freely, outdoor enthusiasts such as bird watchers, kayakers, duck hunters, and fishermen are generally knowledgeable about alligator behavior and how to interact safely with them.
“They’re predators and you need to be careful. Alligators are naturally wary of people but you still need to exhibit safety around the water’s edge. Where we get into trouble most of the time with alligators and having to remove nuisance alligators and the public complaining about alligators, it’s after people have fed them, which is illegal,” Warner said. “Once they lose their fear of people just like other types of wildlife, it becomes a safety issue and they can become aggressive. We just encourage folks to enjoy the sighting, but please don’t feed alligators.”