Alligators in Melbourne area? (Naples, Noma: house, purchasing, school) - Brevard County - Florida (FL) -Space Coast: Palm Bay, Melbourne, Titusville area - City-Data Forum

debclark · 08-13-2008, 12:15 PM

I feel kind of silly asking this because it may seem like a dumb question, but since it looks like my husband and I will be moving to the Melbourne area with our two young children, I was wondering if there are many alligators there. Especially beachside. Alligators are only freshwater, aren't they?

This came up because I had the following conversation with my dad:

Me: There's a great house right on a canal. Would there be alligators in there? I don't think the dog would like that.

Him: Alligators eat children. That's what you'll have to watch out for.

So now I'm kind of freaked out. I'd really appreciate someone cluing me in on the truth. Do I need to be concerned about alligators--or anything else--if we live on the water?

Thanks!

Nomadicus · 08-13-2008, 12:25 PM

On a canal anything is possible south of GA. Not to be an alarmist by any means. I have a relative in the area and gators are the least of his worries. Don't ever feed a gator is rule #1. Rule #2 even if you don't have a local gator in your backyard on a canal treat it like it has a 12 footer in it. Err on the side of safety. If you have a dog that likes to play in the water that's an accident waiting to happen on a FL canal in a lot of places. Not all but a lot. Being a native of many years I'm more afraid of crazy drivers than gators any day of the week. My 2¢.

Forgot about the beach ?. Yes they like the fresh water lakes, canals, creeks, ponds, & rivers. Once ever so often one will be spotted in saltwater but it is very rare. You normally here the shark talk about saltwater instead of gator worries.

Denise in Fla · 08-13-2008, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomadicus

On a canal anything is possible south of GA. Not to be an alarmist by any means. I have a relative in the area and gators are the least of his worries. Don't ever feed a gator is rule #1. Rule #2 even if you don't have a local gator in your backyard on a canal treat it like it has a 12 footer in it. Err on the side of safety. If you have a dog that likes to play in the water that's an accident waiting to happen on a FL canal in a lot of places. Not all but a lot. Being a native of many years I'm more afraid of crazy drivers than gators any day of the week. My 2¢.

Have to agree with you on the gators, the main reason gators attack people is because they feed them and then associate people with food. I was told when I moved to FL always assume there are gators in a body of water. More afraid of crazy drivers like the Op stated than gators.

STANLEY50 · 08-13-2008, 01:17 PM

My sister lives in Melbourne and has a lake behind her house which she has seen alligators in.

Nomadicus · 08-13-2008, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STANLEY50

My sister lives in Melbourne and has a lake behind her house which she has seen alligators in.

If it helps anyone, I learned to swim in a man made lake with gators in it. School summer program supervised too. On the side of honesty none where more than probably 5-6 feet though. Gators are protected and seeing them crossing roads and in drainage ditches is really quite common.

TANaples · 08-13-2008, 02:03 PM

I saw one in our pond right off our lanai two weeks ago. We live on a golf course in Naples with a number of these "watertraps". It did not come out of the water, but I would guess the head must have been around 10 inches. My former neighbor has said he was seen them before and they have even come up sometimes on land. There are big drainage pipes under the water, so I don't know where it came from.

There are a lot of pretty big fish in these ponds. Do they eat fish? I know there are a lot of birds on the greens.

I plan never to leave my cats alone outside on the lanai anymore.

Nomadicus · 08-13-2008, 02:07 PM

Here's a link to a gulf coast news story. You will be on the other coast so all should be well.

Woman finds 8-foot alligator in kitchen - Animal weirdness - MSNBC.com

jennyspfl · 01-22-2009, 05:02 PM

Umm..YES! It is Florida so there WILL be gators! I have lived in almost every corner of this state and there were gators everywhere i lived. Sorry to say it, but if you move to Fl you will have to be aware of this and just be cautious around water. I live in Viera (a newer part of Melbourne) now and have a pond out back with (yep! you guessed it!) Gators! They are probably around every golf course and in every pond, lake, stream, river, or swamp in Fl. They are most likely not all swarming out into the ocean to join the sharks, but can be found in brackish water, which is all around Melbourne thanks to the river. Good news is..i have lived in Fl almost my entire life and never had a problem with them. You just have to be aware that they may be around and keep pets & kids away from the water.

floridaorbust · 01-23-2009, 08:51 AM

we are looking for a home in the space coast, treasure coast area. And amazed at how many places have these "watertraps" or ponds. So its good to assume that they pretty much all have gators in them? Oftened wondered that. I is kinda detering us from purchasing a home near a pond, lake or canal.

beachmouse · 01-23-2009, 11:08 AM

If a body of water is bigger than a two car garage, it's a gator habitat. But as long as you don't feed them, they really don't have much interest in people- we're too big to make for an easy meal. Gator attacks on humans are far rarer than shark attacks, which are very rare to begin with.

I just wouldn't swim let a medium or small dog swim in their territory, but beyond that they're not particularly dangerous to people going about the activites of everyday life.