See the Rogue Alligator Authorities Found Prowling Up in the Mountains

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) officers had an unusual day last week when they spotted an alligator in the Whites Creek area of Rhea County. The officers successfully caught and trapped the alligator found in Tennessee, transporting it to the Chattanooga Zoo.

A Facebook post from the agency shows images of officers holding and measuring the alligator and contains the hashtag, #don’tdumpyourpets. Officials believe this alligator was once owned by someone and then released into the wild when it grew too big.

Although alligators are naturally expanding their range into the southern counties of Tennessee, TWRA explained in a Facebook comment they can confirm this alligator was dumped based on “distance and location of the natural expansion.”

Are Alligators Found in Tennessee?

The American alligator is found in the United States from the Rio Grande in Texas to North Carolina. Their preferred habitat is freshwater, slow-moving rivers, although they can live in marshes, swamps, or lakes. 

Recently, officials in Tennessee have confirmed alligators are expanding their region from the southern states into Tennessee. According to the TWRA website, “Alligators expanding into Tennessee is just another species that we must learn to coexist with like many other southern states.”

Alligators are cold-blooded, and can’t survive extreme cold. However, they can withstand Tennessee winters by going into a type of hibernation called brumation. They can even survive their lake or pond freezing over by sticking their snout out of the water before it freezes. This way, they can continue breathing as they hibernate under the icy waters.

How Big Do Alligators Get?

Recently, a seven-foot alligator was caught on video by TWRA cameras in the Wolf River in West Tennessee. That’s about the size of the average female alligator, which typically reaches about eight feet. However, the males are bigger and average 11 feet. The largest males sometimes grow as long as 15 feet and can weigh nearly 1,000 pounds.

What Do Alligators Eat?

Alligators will eat a variety of prey, including fish, turtles, snakes, small mammals, and birds. They sometimes feed on larger mammals like raccoons, possums, and even deer.

Alligators are typically shy of people, and attacks on humans are rare. Most alligator attacks occur when the reptile is feeling threatened or provoked. However, alligators are a more significant threat to pets and small children. Never allow children to play in an area where you know alligators are present, and keep an eye on your pets.