Maysville, KY -

Contact Us |

Subscriber Services

Search Archives

	Advanced Search

Opinion: Local Columns

An alligator never makes a good pet

By LISA DUNBAR

Friday, December 15, 2006 8:06 PM EST

Print this story | Email this story

What can grow 12 to 13 feet in length and has 74 to 80 razor-sharp teeth? Yes, it’s the American alligator.

And what made the person, who disposed of a 3-foot long one in a downtown dumpster this week, think that an alligator would make a good house pet?

As my father used to say, people are stupid.

Alligators are wild animals — about as wild as you can get. They are not cuddly or affectionate. They can not be domesticated. As one Web site put it, cat and dog moods can be “bratty to bully,” but alligators can be “horrid to murderous.”

Apart from the danger the animal poses, they are completely impractical as pets. Alligators need an enclosure that is three to four times its length. So, that little ‘gator in the dumpster should have had an enclosure of nine to 12 feet across.

I’m guessing that wasn’t the case.

But really, an alligator shouldn’t be in an enclosure. It should be swimming around the Everglades, catching fish, birds and small animals. In areas where alligators come into contact with humans, the results are often tragic.

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, there were 391 alligator attacks in the United States between 1948 and 2005 n just about 200 fewer than shark attacks. However, those bites resulted in nearly twice the fatalities. Of those attacked by alligators 17 died, compared to nine of the shark attack victims.

I recently saw a program where a man in New York City had two small alligators in his bathtub. Imagine what those animals could have done to a curious child. Fortunately, the owner realized the mistake he’d made and surrendered the gators to animal control, which sent them to an animal preserve in Florida.

There’s no getting around the fact that alligators have a very primitive brain — that reptilian brain your science teacher told you about. They are very good at being alligators — predators — but they aren’t much good at learning new tricks.

If the danger and impracticality of owning an alligator isn’t discouragement enough, they are also illegal in the state of Kentucky.

In fact, more and more localities are recognizing the danger exotic pets of all kinds pose to humans and local wildlife as well. There is no federal law governing the ownership of exotic pets; however, it’s best to check state and local laws concerning reptiles and other exotics.

Please don’t think I’m against keeping reptiles in general as pets. I’ve known some people who find snakes or iguanas fascinating, and they are able to care for them.

What I urge is, before anyone gets a pet — whether it is a python or a Great Dane — do some research to make sure that the animal you are considering getting is right for you, your family and your living arrangements.

And I can’t imagine anyone for whom an alligator would be appropriate.

We’ll probably never know who threw that 'gator in the dumpster downtown; so he will never be prosecuted. But whoever he was, I hoped he’s ashamed of himself.

Reader Comments

Comments are limited to 200 words or less.

a.w.b. wrote on Jul 31, 2008 3:32 AM:

" well yes alligators can be mean but so can any animal with teath. what gets be is people have snakes but nobody complains but when some has an alligator people get made. in my opition if you can rasie an alligator and have it a good enclouser then you should be llod to have it.i know people who has tamed alligators.as long as you get them young. "

Add your own comments:

Copyright © 2009 Maysville Newspapers, Inc., A Lee Enterprises Publication

This site is protected by applicable copyright laws and no part may be reproduced, transmitted or used in any way other than its intended purpose without the prior written permission of The Ledger Independent.
Click here to view The Ledger Independent's privacy policy.
Click here to view current print advertisements.

	Photo Galleries

	Local Links

	Calendar

	Yellow Pages

	Real Estate

	Kentucky Crosswords

	Movie Listings

	Kentucky Lottery

	Ohio Lottery

Services
	Subscribe

	About Us

	Place a Classified Ad

Submit a:
	Birth Announcement

	Engagement Announcement

	Wedding Announcement

Community News
	Adams County

	Bracken County

	Fleming County

	Georgetown, Ohio

	Lewis County

	Ripley, Ohio