As large, common reptiles, alligators create abundant and rather obvious sign where they range in the southeastern US. So the challenge is in recognizing their spoor rather than in finding it. In this post, a sequel to Alligator Tracks and Sign I (which covers tracks, scat, and basking spots), I’ll discuss trails, runs, haul outs, burrows, “gator holes” and nests. The latter two are what make Alligator mississippiensis a keystone species, for they are critical resources for many other species.

Like Alligator Tracks and Sign I, this post is an extension of the material on tracks and sign in the alligator chapter of my book, which covers more on alligator habits relevant to camera trapping.

Trails and Runs

Alligators generally use an understep walk. The stride is 18 – 28+ inches and the straddle is 11 – 24+ inches (Tkaczyk, 2015). An understep walk makes sense given the species’ short legs, long body and rather inflexible back (as compared to the short-legged, long-bodied weasels, whose flexible backs allow them to bound). Sometimes you can clearly see separate, well-defined front and hind feet, but often each front-hind pair appears as a single elongated messy, muddy print. Typically alligators walk with legs extended so that the belly does not drag, but the long tail does.

In the video below (taken by “mbpelicans”), you can clearly see the animal moving in an understep walk with the belly raised but the tail dragging.

Alligators do create runs between their favorite resources. Frequent use makes the runs appear well trampled with few, if any, clear tracks.

Alligators tend to walk right over logs, so when a log crosses a run, there may be evidence of scratch marks left by the claws as the animal traveled over the log.

Haul Outs

Alligators tend to repeatedly enter and exit the water at certain spots where, in favorable substrate, you may notice multiple tail drags and tracks at the water’s edge. You may even see belly drags, also called slides, because sometimes alligators slide on their bellies for a few steps before entering the water. Sometimes a haul out is also a basking spot. If it is, alligator droppings will litter the area. The photo at the top of this post shows an alligator about to haul out of the water at a spot that is also used for sunbathing, as evidenced by an accumulation of crumbly white scats near the pond edge. The haul out in the photo below, however, does not appear to be used for basking.

Burrows

During cold weather, alligators shelter in bank burrows. An individual may excavate its own burrow or use an existing hole. When it excavates its own, the entry hole may be just large enough for the animal. When it uses an existing burrow, it may choose one much larger than necessary as seen here. The photo below shows an existing hole used by an alligator in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve in Florida. I believe the hole was a culvert or some other remnant of human activity, created during the limestone quarrying era in that region.

Gator Holes

“Gator holes” are interesting and ecologically valuable creations. As water levels drop, alligators maintain depth by clearing muck from the bottom of the pond. During the dry season, these water holes are vital not only for the alligator itself, but for a variety of fish, turtles, snakes, birds, and mammals. Gator holes, especially, make alligators a keystone species.

As the dry season progresses, gator holes may shrink to small puddles or even completely dry up.

Nests

After mating, a female alligator constructs a mound of mud and whatever vegetative debris she can find: leaves, grasses, sticks etc., where she will lay her eggs. The nest is typically 5-10 feet in diameter by 2-3 feet high and located in a sheltered spot near the water. I was never able to get close enough to one for a good photo, but look carefully at the image below for a mound of debris at the far left behind the pond. I believe that is an alligator nest. At the far right behind the pond, you can see an alligator basking.

Alligator nests are also critical for other species: Some species of turtle and snake use them for nesting.

Sources

Tkaczyk, F. Tracks and Sign of Amphibians and Reptiles: A Guide to North American Species. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2015.