The Everglades (Plantation: house, living, dangerous)

[alligatorboy]

I have heard that wildlife from The Everglades(alligators,crocodiles, and pythons) are starting to cause problems for people who live nearby.
Someone even said that they can't leave pets or small children unattended because they might be eaten by an alligator or crocodile.
Is this true, or are people just making up stories? If it is true, about how often does something like this happen?

[yakfish75]

I wish it would happen more, so people could realize we need to stop expanding in to the Glades!

[planetsurf]

Used to happen in Plantation in the 80s not just now. The alligators would swipe small pets, especially little dogs tied up out back near canals.

[alligatorboy]

Originally Posted by yakfish75

I wish it would happen more, so people could realize we need to stop expanding in to the Glades!

Thank you for your response. I wish more people cared that the American Crocodile population is extremely low. Even though they are dangerous to people, I think Crocodiles are fascinating animals. I hope that Honey Island Swamp in Louisiana will remain as preserved and protected as it is right now.

[diddiyo]

Originally Posted by yakfish75

I wish it would happen more, so people could realize we need to stop expanding in to the Glades!

True.

And just in case you're interesting what else is going on with the Everglades, check this page out.

[Wheaten]

It's not like the animals of the everglades are coming to us, we are moving in.

I have also heard "don't leave small children unattended near a canal because of the alligators." That raises the question of why one leave a small child unattended near a canal anyway? Ok, so even if there's no gator, can the kid really swim that well?

But to answer your question, yes, small dogs, particularly the ones with a little too much bravado, tend to go near the edge of the canal to give the gators a talking to and become, well, a snack.

Bottom line, when you have a house on a canal less than 1/4 mile from a habitat that is a swamp, the canal really doesn't look too different than the original environment. Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but many of the reticulated pythons that are out there are an invasive species, usually released by owners who never thought their pet snake would get that big.

[alligatorboy]

Originally Posted by Wheaten

It's not like the animals of the everglades are coming to us, we are moving in.

I have also heard "don't leave small children unattended near a canal because of the alligators." That raises the question of why one leave a small child unattended near a canal anyway? Ok, so even if there's no gator, can the kid really swim that well?

But to answer your question, yes, small dogs, particularly the ones with a little too much bravado, tend to go near the edge of the canal to give the gators a talking to and become, well, a snack.

Bottom line, when you have a house on a canal less than 1/4 mile from a habitat that is a swamp, the canal really doesn't look too different than the original environment. Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but many of the reticulated pythons that are out there are an invasive species, usually released by owners who never thought their pet snake would get that big.

Yes, pythons are an invasive species let loose by people who didn't know what to do with them once they started getting too big. They are a threat to the alligators and crocodiles in The Everglades. A python can eat something much bigger than itself, because it's skin can stretch to hold the food inside until it digests. I saw a tv show recently about pythons and other snakes(boas, anacondas) that are invasive species in The Everglades. They had a picture of a python that had eaten an alligator, but the python died because the alligator poked the snake from the inside with one of its' claws. These snakes are starting to come closer and closer to residential areas in Southern Florida.

[tallrick]

The dangerous wildlife are not interested in living around humans, but they go where the food is. I am one of the few people who would like to live IN the everglades without changing it. However, development always wipes out wetlands to build, so the area changes. Alligators, snakes and crocodiles like it natural. Yet aquatic animals can live in any water where a food source is. The gators are amphibious so the rock pit you call a lake is a place they might walk to if fish or delicious dogs are available. The non-native big snakes are growing in number, but a colder than normal winter might be what would control them. There have been snakes living under homes and in urban areas, thriving on stray animals without notice. The biggest problem has been those two-legged pests that just keep growing in number and they are not from the Everglades.

[plantlover]

Tallrick, I hear ya on that one! LOL