How Many Alligators Live in Florida’s Lake Seminole?

There are alligators in Lake Seminole, FL, because, well, it’s Florida. Unless there are active prevention policies in place, to keep alligators out, there’s a good chance that a body of water in Florida has an alligator or two. Florida is home to well over a million alligators. They are a robust and thriving species within the state.

The American alligator belongs to the Alligatoridae family and belongs to only two species remaining in their genus, with the Chinese alligator being the other. The American alligator is very large and appears quite fearsome, especially at eye level, wading around in a lake.

However, it’s nowhere near as fierce and violent as its crocodile cousins in Africa. In general (not always) an alligator will seek to remove itself from the presence of humans, while a crocodile is more likely to approach, expecting a meal. When it comes to alligators in Lake Seminole, there are enough of them, spread out across the lake, for routine sightings.

Alligators: The Basics

The average alligator is capable of reaching more than 14 feet (4.27 meters) in length and half a ton in weight. Within their environment, they are the apex predator and have no fear of any animals that share the environment with them. Alligators aren’t picky with their meals, often including deer, wild dogs, turtles, snakes, birds, fish, pigs, and just about anything that makes its way into the lake.

Alligators in Lake Seminole are no different from alligators in Louisiana or anywhere else in America. They’re large, with a thick, armored hide; short legs that are incredibly strong and fast; a huge, long tail; and massive, yawning jaws. They are truly intimidating, more so in real life than on TV.

Habitat

Alligators in Lake Seminole prefer plenty of cover unless it’s time to come out and sunbathe on the shoreline. Trees that grow from the edges of the lake and areas with a lot of vegetation make the perfect home for an alligator. They prefer southern climes, with warm, moist air. However, the American alligator ranges up to North Carolina.

They prefer the lowlands, and though they thrive from the Florida Keys to North Carolina, they range to the west as well, including areas in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Alligators are social animals and despite mostly lone sightings, alligators live together, with hatchlings being the more social of the bunch, especially for protection and self-defense.

Temperature

Alligators are reptiles and, as such, regulate their temperature externally. As cold-blooded animals, they love to sunbathe or swim in the warmer waters close to the shoreline. Unfortunately, their instinctive need for warmth also brings them into contact with humans and our pets, which sometimes results in unfortunate incidents.

Contrary to popular belief, however, alligators can go awhile in cold weather, mostly by sticking to the water as the temperatures drop, because it will take the water much longer to cool than the surrounding air. Alligators don’t hibernate. Instead, they “brumate.” Alligators in Lake Seminole don’t have to experience the colder parts of the year like alligators in North Carolina.

Still, when it gets cold enough, they do go semi-dormant, with their metabolisms and other physical processes slowing way down. While most people assume this is hibernation, it’s not the same as a bear. In reptiles, it’s known as brumating, which is not as deep a slumber as hibernation.

How Many Alligators Are in Lake Seminole, Florida?

While there is no official count for the number of alligators in Lake Seminole, FL, the rough estimates are generally between 55 and 65. Lake Seminole has a 365-mile shoreline and covers 37,500 acres of real estate.

If we assume there are 60 alligators in Lake Seminole, that would make one alligator for every 625 mi² (1,005.84 km)². That’s not too shabby for those who like to spend time on Lake Seminole’s waters. Lake Seminole is surrounded by park amenities and activities, and a lot of recreation goes on out there, including swimming.

Lake Seminole Recreation

If you’re visiting the area and are worried about alligators in Lake Seminole, you shouldn’t be. Swimming areas are by designation only, and swimmers are protected by a surrounding net that keeps alligators from wandering into the area.

For RVers, the lake offers camping amenities for RVs and for primitive camping options. There are a ton of pavilions for picnics and reservations for birthday parties. There are also boating, water sports, fishing, biking, hiking, playgrounds wildlife viewing, and a variety of other recreational opportunities on the lake.

Tips for Being Safe with Alligators in Lake Seminole

First and foremost, never go swimming in areas throughout Lake Seminole that are not designated swimming areas. If you take a boat out onto the water and jump in, you won’t get in trouble necessarily, but you’re responsible for taking the risk. Is an alligator likely to attack a human swimming in the water? No. But it does happen from time to time.

Never leave food or other waste close to the shoreline or in the water—anything that might drive an alligator’s instinct to come closer to shore and check out what you have. Avoid allowing your dogs near the water. Alligators are much more likely to go after a dog that’s walking along the shoreline than they are a person.

Alligators in Lake Seminole are few and far between, so it’s not likely that you’ll even see one, much less run into one that’s looking for a hot meal. Nevertheless, it’s better to play it safe than be sorry about it later.

Final Thoughts

With somewhere between 55 and 65 alligators in Lake Seminole, it’s far from the most gator-infested lake in the Sunshine State. It’s safe enough that there is a ton of recreation in and around the lake, with plenty of swimming areas for those who want to cool off in the summer.

If you want to know which lake has the most alligators in the state of Florida, you have to head south to the iconic Lake Okeechobee, where there are so many alligators that biologists separate their counts into sections of the lake. All in all, Lake Seminole is just another, nice lake in the state of Florida that happens to have a few alligators.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © © mark higgins/iStock via Getty Images