What’s next, cottonmouths in Ontario?
https://www.freep.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/08/alligator-lake-michigan/1567221002/
I wonder if Shedd Aquarium is missing an alligator.
Maybe he hitched a ride with a snowbird from Florida.
“caiman alligator”. … Ain’t from Florida none of our Gators are that uppity to be caimans . 
I think it is extra very cool that the paddler’s reaction was to rescue the animal.
@Overstreet said:
“caiman alligator”. … Ain’t from Florida none of our Gators are that uppity to be caimans .
Later identified as an “American Alligator” so maybe he/she is a misplaced Floridian. 
Where I now live in coastal South Carolina I think every pond/lagoon in our community has a gator living in it. At least that’s the attitude you (have to) take.
Fortunately I do my paddling in Salt water which they’re much less fond of.
I told my kids from the beginning…If it’s fresh water, there may be Alligators. If it’s salt water there may be sharks. When I told them about Bull Sharks tolerating both salt and fresh, they were unsettled.
4-foot meshi-gami monster,
won’t mishi-peshu pants,
like gitche-gumee goliathan,
where Ojibwe fear to dance,
but settin’ toe in any tub,
an apex settles low in dare,
there they’re manna easily schooled by piranha,
dans le lac du superieur
There was an 8 footer that used to hang around the ramp at Harris Landing on the ICW. We thought he was being given the remains of fish caught from the pier.
Drewcifer, spend some time on the Mosquito Lagoon or Indian river. Alligators seem to tolerate salt water just fine.
@string said:
There was an 8 footer that used to hang around the ramp at Harris Landing on the ICW. We thought he was being given the remains of fish caught from the pier.
Garris Landing
@ tjalmy. Every once and awhile, I’ll see one in Tampa Bay. I vacation @ Ormond Beach about once a year, and yeah, I’ve seen 'em in the Halifax River. It’s more of a generational for my kidz; be aware of dangerous conditions…aware, not afraid. Knowledge is power.
Eight foot and under we make them move, unless it is a mom with babies.
Over eight feet, and we give them the right of way.
Many years ago, I did a lot of tests in the Everglades and Myakka River, and even a young one if cornered in shallow water will face you, open up it’s mouth, and hiss, telling you that if it can’t escape it is going to defend itself
Just spent a weekend in FL on the Indian River. Saw a total of 3 alligators in 2 days of fishing. In SC I’ve also seen them in small (3’ wide) creeks. In the south, they seem to have no boundaries.
I too have seen them in saltwater and brackish. In fact for the most part I see really big 10 foot plus gators in that environment.
@JackL said:
Many years ago, I did a lot of tests in the Everglades and Myakka River, and even a young one if cornered in shallow water will face you, open up it’s mouth, and hiss, telling you that if it can’t escape it is going to defend itself
Great picture.
How, exactly, do you perform such a “test” safely?
Baby ones will do the same thing, and they will bite.
@Sparky961 said:
@JackL said:
Many years ago, I did a lot of tests in the Everglades and Myakka River, and even a young one if cornered in shallow water will face you, open up it’s mouth, and hiss, telling you that if it can’t escape it is going to defend itselfGreat picture.
How, exactly, do you perform such a “test” safely?
My wife’s who, ( is our bow paddler), Water Tribe’s name is “Gator Bait”
@castoff said:
I too have seen them in saltwater and brackish. In fact for the most part I see really big 10 foot plus gators in that environment.
In West Lake and portions of Nine Mile Pond in the Everglades National Park both The Salt Water Crocodiles and Alligators live in the same area