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Exactly how far north alligators once ventured is difficult to assess. William Byrd , who traversed the Great Dismal Swamp in , mentioned tales of the species there but did not record direct sightings. Alligators have left their mark on North Carolina geography, however.
Bernard S. Martof and others, Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia Image courtesy of Flickr user Travis S. Skip to main content. Printer-friendly page Alligators by Wynne Dough, Reference: Bernard S.
Dough, Wynne. Origin – location:. A recent North Carolina State University population survey of alligators indicates that the reptiles appear to be thriving in the state.
This foot long, plus-pound alligator was photographed in Cumberland County in This census shows alligator numbers either have remained stable or increased, with the greatest densities in the southeastern part of the state. The team found abundant populations. For example, in Lake Ellis Simon near Havelock, researchers counted 53 gators compared to 33 in the early s.
Orton Pond, south of Wilmington in Brunswick County, had 79 gators compared to 40, also in the early s. The researchers termed distribution as patchy, with clusters of gators found in decreasing numbers from South Carolina toward Virginia state lines.
No statewide estimate was made. Gators remain fully protected in North Carolina, unlike those in eight states from South Carolina to Arkansas and Texas, which allow hunting. The researchers concluded that the gators, which are at the northern end of their range in this state, could be vulnerable to hunting. That compares to 10 years for Louisiana gators. Thus, removing females from the population could drive overall numbers down. Hunters would end up taking both males and females since the sexes look alike.
Gators over 10 feet in length are nearly always males, while those shorter than 10 feet can be of either sex. The study covered a similar list of lakes, rivers and swamps in 25 counties as a previous survey published in
Alligators | NCpedia
Alligator caught sunbathing at North Carolina beach A five foot long alligator decided to take a beach day this week. FORT FISHER, N.C. (WTVD). In North Carolina the American alligator inhabits fresh and estuarine bodies of water as far west as Robeson and Cumberland Counties, building dens with. The American alligator ranges from coastal North Carolina to southern Florida and west to central Texas. They inhabit the swamps and shores of.