Is this alligator smiling?

In the Merry Merry Month of May… Florida alligators are looking for love.

This is the time of year the big males move from place to place, looking for a mate. Since the gators really have no predators, they come and go as they please. During the courting season, they have been known to cross streets and roads, leisurely stroll through residential developments and even end up in backyard pools.

For the last three years, early in the morning, we have heard the mating call of a bull alligator in the woods that face our back yard. We have yet to see the gator and for that, I am thankful. I’m not sure if the noise level of the mating call is determined by the size of the animal, but this one sounds pretty loud. We only hear it about 7:00 AM or so, never during the day.

Click on the > below to hear the mating call.