What do you call an Alligator in a vest? An Investigator

The American Alligator is a native species to the Everglades but sometimes these freshwater giants find their way out of the glades and into other parts of Florida. No such area as foreign to the Alligator would be the key islands,  land masses surrounded by salty sea water. These land masses prevent most Gators from finding their way down the islands but as evident in the Blue Hole park, these prehistoric creatures thrive in almost every corner of the state. However, how do these Alligators continue to thrive in these areas? Consistent and constant breeding is always a helpful factor.

American Alligators reach their sexual maturity in different stages for males and females. Males reach this stage at 8-12 years old or the physical size of 7 feet long, meanwhile females can reach this stage at only 6 feet long but 10-15 years old. Their courtship begins around early April but the actual mating is later in May and into late June. The female will build a mound using soil, vegetation, and other random things that the Alligators can get a hold of. Once the mating has commenced, the female will lay a batch of eggs 32-46 eggs in size but this hails in comparison to the number of Alligators that reach adult maturity. Due to the environment in which they live in with the cannibalistic tendencies of the species, only one in seven eggs will reach adulthood. The incubation period for these Alligators is about 65 days so in a month and a half these eggs will join the large population of American Alligators in Florida.

At the blue hole state park, I got the opportunity to speak with the local docent about the local Alligator population to the park. During the time there, the male Alligator was near the observation dock while according to the docent, the female had yet to appear in the water for the day. This lead him to speculate that due to the time of the year, the female was most likely building or tending to her nest of eggs that was built in close proximity to the water they call home. If the docent was accurate with his speculation, the Alligators will hatch sometime in a month or so and will join the current population of American Alligators in and around Blue hole.

American Alligator breeding:
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/April-Marks-The-Beginning-of-Alligator-Mating-Season---How-to-Stay-Safe-507959371.html
Blue hole:
https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/snorkel-blue-hole