Alligators found in Rio Grande

[kskiska]

Source: UPI

FORT HANCOCK, Texas, June 23 (UPI) -- Texas wildlife officials say there are six alligators living in the Rio Grande, east of Fort Hancock in Hudspeth County.

"There were approximately six alligators that were observed, three of them that were in the 2- to 4-foot range, and about three of them in the 5- to 6-foot range," Texas Game Warden Ray Spears told KFOX-TV, El Paso, Texas.

Spears said the alligators are in a rural area, so they don't pose much danger to humans. He said it is believed they were dropped off in the area by someone who was previously keeping them.

The warden said his office will be monitoring the alligators to keep people safe and to see if the animals reproduce in the river.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/06/23/Alligators-found-in-Rio-Grande/UPI-12771245793425/

[AngryAmish]

1. That should make crossing the border more interesting

[Xipe Totec]

3. Got news for you

These alligator gars already live in the Rio Grande, have been there forever.

[Chulanowa]

5. Alligators. As in the archosaur. Not alligator gars, as in the Lepisosteid fish

[Xipe Totec]

6. I know the difference

The alligators are newcomers, the alligator gar have been there forever.

And yet, people still cross the river.

A few alligators won't make a bit of difference, except perhaps as food for the gars.

[Hoopla Phil]

7. Damn, I don't think I've EVER seen the Rio so "overflowing" before LOL

[Xipe Totec]

8. You do know there are major dams along the Rio, don't you?

Falcon dam is just one:




http://www.basscapitol.com/lakedetailpage.php?lakename=Falcon%20Lake

[Hoopla Phil]

13. Yes I know that, are you THEN claiming that this fish came out of a lake on the Rio Grand? more

NOT the RIVER Rio Grand?








Then you would STILL be "mis-informed":

Your fish that is pictured came from the Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas in 2005

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/issue-76.shtml#eleven


Oh, and the Sam Rayburn is not on the Rio Grand, it's actually on the Eastern side of the state:

http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/samray/

[Xipe Totec]

15. That was just a sample for illustration

It's not like there's jus one or two here and there.

I grew up along the Rio Grande, and I am familiar with these animals alive and in pots.

This one is from the resaca in San Benito, Texas:

http://www.richardmooreoutdoors.com/Article/32538


And this one is the record, caught in the Rio Grande in 1951:




http://www.itsnature.org/sea/fish/alligator-gar

[Hoopla Phil]

16. Um yeah, Ok.

[EndersDame]

17. Did you grow up in the Valley as well?

[Blue_Tires]

19. what the shit?

KILL IT WITH FIRE

[WriteDown]

9. 5 to 6 feet are babies though :).

Until you get into the 10 foot range, they're little.

[AlphaCentauri]

14. A few more steeping stones n/t

[AndyTiedye]

2. Would be Cheaper Than Building that Fence Along the Border

[Winterblues]

20. I am sure that was the thought when they were placed there.

IMO it is no different than planting land mines. They kill and maim indiscriminatley and for what???????

[Ilsa]

4. We have gators in south Tx at least as far as Houston. A friend

who did volunteer hikes at a Brazos River state park kept telling
one of the bikers to keep his dog leashed because he kept
running in to the ponds to chase small animals and cool off. The
dog's owner didn't comply. A gator grabbed the dog and dragged
him off, never to be seen again.

I've seen 6-7 ft gators along rivers in Tx.

[alarimer]

18. They are Corpus Christi as well.

We have them in drainage ditches, in ponds. And there are plenty in Brownsville as well. I am not surprised they found them in the Rio Grande.

[happyslug]

10. A little south for American Alligators.

The American Alligator barely reaches the Rio Grand (and the area South of Houston starts to get dryer and dryer, so even less habitat for Alligators):
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/images/!csm-amis.gif

Mexico is generally free of Crocodiles and their cousins the Caimans and Alligators, through some Caimans and a Crocodile species reaches southern Mexico:

The American Crocodile gets into Southern Florida and Southern Mexico:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/images/!csm-cacu.gif

The SPECTACLED CAIMAN Only gets to extreme Southern Mexico:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/images/!csm-ccro.gif

The BROWN CAIMAN barely gets into Southern Mexico:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/images/!csm-ccfu.gif

For more see:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/csl-maps-species.htm

[ohio2007]

11. They make great pets until.......well mom says you gotta flush em nt

[Xithras]

21. That's mostly due to human induced habitat destruction and hunting.

It's believed that, prior to human hunting and modification of their environments, that the American Alligator may have ranged from Tennessee to Tampico Mexico.

[bitchkitty]

12. 2-4 feet, and even 6 feet are not that big.

But I wouldn't let my kid or dog stroll along a river where I knew there were gators.