Spring is officially here and so are warmer temperatures needed to bring out the reptiles. Cumberland is home to over forty species of reptiles, the largest and most noteable being the alligator. This is the breeding season for these top predators so the bellowing roars they make to locate mates will be heard in the freshwater wetlands on the Island. Alligators are freshwater animals that will venture into saltwater to feed. During the warmer months they are seen in the saltmarsh and tidal creeks on the west side of the Island. Some alligators on the north end of Cumberland have been known to enter the ocean at night to feed on large schools of mullet that gather there during the summer months. But alligators cannot live in a salty environment full time because salt will eventually dehydrate them so they have to make it back to freshwater in order to survive.

As one might expect, we get a lot of questions about these high profile animals such as “How big do they get?” The largest alligator on record is a 19′2″ animal found in Lousiana.

On Cumberland a twelve foot alligator would be considered a very large specimen. Under ideal conditions of food and climate, young alligators grow about one foot a year until they reach six feet, then the lengthening process slows down as the animal grows thicker. The males grow faster than females; in twenty years a male can reach a length of about eleven and a half feet, while a female would only grow to a little over eight feet during that period. However, both become sexually mature when they are about six feet long.

An alligator nest consists of a large pile of dead vegetation close to water. In this mound the female can lay anywhere from 20 to over 50 eggs. The incubation period is about 65 days and the temperature of the eggs in the nest will determine the sex of the young. Eggs below 86 degrees will hatch all females while eggs above 93 degrees will be all males. Temperatures between these two extremes will produce both males and females but mostly females. This information came from studies of alligators mostly in Florida.

Female alligators are good mothers and are very protective of their nest and young. The young may stay close to her for up to three years before leaving to find their own new territories. On Cumberland, once an alligator reaches a length of three feet they have nothing to fear except a larger alligator. The big ones will eat the smaller ones, especially during times of drought when their normal food supply has been interrupted.

Truly wild alligators shy away from humans but can become aggresive and dangerous if people are feeding them. Recent alligator attacks in Florida involved these types of habitual animals. On Cumberland there has been one recorded alligator attack. In 1989 a man bathing in a freshwater pond was bitten by a six foot alligator that quickly released him after making contact. However, Island alligators are known to feed on large mammals such as deer, feral hogs and possibly feral horses so a human in the water cound be mistaken for something else.

The alligator is certainly at the top of the food chain in this region and the undisputed king of the freshwater wetlands. As such, they have an important niche to fill in order to keep this natural system in balance. Alligators only feed on other animals many of which are mammals that can over populate. Without predation, diseases will impact and weaken prey species. So the alligator helps to level the boom and buse cycles of these animals creating a more disease free healthier environment.

Alligators are also important in other ways. I have found that many people are fascinated by these animals; whether they be seasoned gator hunters from Florida or tourists from Europe or a northern city in this country. The fact there are large predators in the wild like the alligator that can overpower and kill a human, has a humbling effect on people. As a result, many of our guests want to see and learn more about these great reptiles. Now with the warmer Spring temperatures, alligators are becoming active again on Cumberland Island.