13 things to know about alligators in North Carolina

When you live in alligator country, experts say there are a couple of rules you should follow.

First, if you are near a body of fresh water, whether it's a manmade retention pond, river or lake, assume it's home to alligators and act accordingly.

Second, if you see a gator lounging on the shoreline or just floating around, leave it alone. Most of the time an alligator will move off on its own, whether it's seeking food or a mate. And humans aren't considered either by our toothy neighbors.

Here are some other tips from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) on coexisting with alligators:

• Don't feed them. The No. 1 reason bad human-gator interactions occur is because people intentionally feed the reptiles, allowing them to associate people with food and lose their fear of being near humans.
• Secure pets near water bodies where alligators have been seen. While fish, snakes, turtles and waterfowl are their favored foods, they have been known to pick off small mammals like muskrats − and dogs.
• Like many animals, alligators are most active between dusk and dawn, which is also when they primarily feed. Practice extra caution at night around bodies of water where gators are known to frequent.
• Never approach an alligator, no matter its size. View them from a safe distance, especially adult animals.

Here are some factoids about North Carolina's top natural predator:

• North Carolina represents the northern most limit of the alligator's range. Population density increases as you move south from Virginia to South Carolina, roughly following the warming temperatures.
• There are believed to be a few thousand alligators in the Tar Heel state, running all along the N.C. coast and extending into the coastal plain roughly as far inland as Interstate 95 in southern parts of the state. The WRC is in the midst of conducting a more specific population survey.
• North Carolina toyed with having a limited gator hunting season several years ago, allowing municipalities with nuisance gators or too many animals an option to control their numbers. But few towns took up the offer, fearing the public relations fallout for hunting an animal that has federal and state protections, and the idea has since been shelved.
• While alligators in states farther south, like Louisiana and Florida, are active and grow throughout most of the year, North Carolina gators go into near-hibernation during the colder winter months. That means Tar Heel gators take longer to grow large and mature than their southern neighbors.
• In North Carolina, male alligators − who can be very territorial − can reach 13 feet and weigh up to 500 pounds or more. Females generally grow to less than 9 feet and weigh up to 200 pounds.
• Research shows that both genders tend to be capable of reproduction at around 6 feet in length, with males in North Carolina believed to take 14-16 years to reach sexual maturity, while females require 18-19 years.
• Alligators can live more than four decades in the wild. Nests can include up to 45 eggs, with females protecting their young for up to two years.
• Orton Pond, a 500-acre lake in Brunswick County roughly halfway between Leland and Southport, is believed to have the highest density of alligators in North Carolina.
• If you know of someone intentionally feeding or harassing an alligator, call WRC's enforcement hotline at (800) 662-7137. For information about best ways to make your pond or local waterway less inviting to gators, call (866) 318-2401.

Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on X/Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from the Green South Foundation and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.