are there really alligators everywhere? (Orlando, Oviedo: house, live, law)

[carolkay4]

my hub is all freaking out about the safety of our dogs when we move to the Orlando area from Texas.

[TehB33nz]

I have lived in Central Florida for 23 years. I have never seen an alligator outside of a lake. Maybe someone has a different experience than I have, though. So unless your house backs onto a lake, you really have nothing to worry about.

[carolkay4]

thanks sooo much, that is what i thought. being from Texas everyone thinks we have horses!! I am getting excited about moving to Florida!

[DavieJ89]

Originally Posted by carolkay4

my hub is all freaking out about the safety of our dogs when we move to the Orlando area from Texas.

Carol you will be ok. I lived in Orlando for ten years, and I saw wild alligators twice in my life. Once near Disney World, and again near the airport, both in relatively remote areas of the city

Gators will usually not bother you if you dont bother them. Unless somebody has been feeding them, then that is a whole different story. My advice is just to keep your dogs away from large bodies of water and you should be just fine

[Crane's Rooster]

The rule of thumb in FL is to assume that every body of fresh water, no matter how big or small, has a gator in it. This really is a rule and not a superstition. But that doesn't mean that every lake, pond, creek and stream is infested with a man eating 15 footer. Most of the wild gators I've seen growing up in FL are 6 ft and under and really would much rather avoid people than bother us. Most gators are scared of people. That being said don't go around the shorelines of large bodies of water from sundown on if you want to play it safe.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by carolkay4

my hub is all freaking out about the safety of our dogs when we move to the Orlando area from Texas.

Really? Now why would there be alligators all over? Are there rattlesnakes all over Texas? But anyway, I have never seen one alligator or crocodile in FL since I lived here. I was born and raised. Moved other places but I always come back to FL. Still haven't seen one.

[carolkay4]

Originally Posted by allenk893

Really? Now why would there be alligators all over? Are there rattlesnakes all over Texas? But anyway, I have never seen one alligator or crocodile in FL since I lived here. I was born and raised. Moved other places but I always come back to FL. Still haven't seen one.

silly husband, thanks!

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by carolkay4

silly husband, thanks!

No not really. He is right, it's not a myth that gators CAN be everywhere in Florida. Does that mean that everytime you step outside you should be on gurad? No. It is extremely uncommon to see one in an urban or suburban area but there are some real exceptions to consider. Any fresh water lake, river, retention pond, sewer pipe, stream, spring, swimming pool, swampy area, should be treated with some caution since it is possible that a gator could be present. Even my mom had a gator snatch one of her cats when I was 2 or 3. The house backed to a lake and she never let me play to close to the water. Our second house on another urbanized lake is where I caught gators as a teen. They weree all <5 feet thought as other posters have said.

[EndersDrift]

I see them shopping in the Oviedo Mall sometimes, I just keep walking and try not to stare, they're very sensitive about their weight.

[rhonda616]

I grew up here for the most part and have always heard that anywhere there is water in florida, there can also be an alligator, although they have been removed from the oddest of places including the beaches. Just keep your eyes open and your dogs on leashes unless you have them securely fenced-in somewhere (which is the law here anyway), and they should be just fine.