Wildlife officials find 700-pound gator in Southwest Georgia

a reply to: Shockerking

Adaptable. Or mobile?

Watch out Iowa, the climate immigrant caravan is coming.

Just have seen theories that their habitat is shrinking not only due to housing and construction in Florida,but conservation and less hunting allow for their population to expand thus the need to move north. Populations of gators throughout coastal Georgia Carolina and knocking on the doors of NC's northern most coastal counties and almost into Virginia. LOL got a pic of a single gator along the road in Walton county GA just east of Atlanta.

www.11alive.com...

a reply to: putnam6

Or, is their habitat expanding?

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: putnam6

Or, is their habitat expanding?

Well theoretically jts shrinking in Florida and with their range expanding elsewhere. We had a thread about this earlier.

www.usatoday.com...

a reply to: Phage

More likely, someone got it as a baby and had to get rid of it as it got older. I just see lots of shoes, purses, wallets. We have them everywhere here; not that big though. Poor thing was found in an irrigation ditch; just wonder what it fed on to get that big - lots of nutrients in the water.

a reply to: Justso

Apparently it's not abnormally large.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Justso

Apparently it's not abnormally large.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

No their both above average, especially in the context of where they were found. Record size for Alabama.


American Alligator Facts, Diet, Size, Bite Force, Habitat ...
Search domain reptiles.factsdiet.com/crocodile/american-alligator/reptiles.factsdiet.com...
But, The average size of a female American Alligator can be up to 8.2 feet while the average size of males is found around 11.2 feet.

a reply to: putnam6

No their both above average, especially in the context of where they were found. Record size for Alabama.

Not above average. Except for the location perhaps.

Perhaps the climate in that location is becoming more suitable for them.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: putnam6

No their both above average, especially in the context of where they were found. Record size for Alabama.

Not above average. Except for the location perhaps.

Perhaps the climate in that location is becoming more suitable for them.

Both areas have been warm enough and rural enough to have alligators in my lifetime, just they never seemed to get that large.

American Alligator Facts, Diet, Size, Bite Force, Habitat ...
Search domain reptiles.factsdiet.com/crocodile/american-alligator/reptiles.factsdiet.com...
But, The average size of a female American Alligator can be up to 8.2 feet while the average size of males is found around 11.2 feet.

13 feet and 15 feet in length are above average for the American Alligator which is 8.2 feet for females 11.2 for males. In Florida the record is 14 feet

a reply to: putnam6
Groovy.

From the article in the OP

Wildlife officials in Southwest Georgia could not believe what they found.

A 700-pound gator.

Please tell me this is an abnormally large animal.

Shame it had to be put down.. RIP old timer

He could make a lot of boots!

I knew there was a legitimate reason for me living in Northwest Georgia.
Them Southerners can keep their giant gators
All I have is "Old Betsy"
10 gauge firing 8 oz expanding tip slugs
I wonder if she would have even scratched this gator's rear ?

originally posted by: Shockerking

originally posted by: Phage
There is quite a bit of forced perspective involved in that shot.
But he is a big 'un.

Yes this gator is big, but is this uncommon for those parts of Georgia though?

Yes.

originally posted by: generik
wonder how old it was?

Not as old as it would have like to have been