“Of the 5 sites, 4 of the sites where alligators were observed were simple culverts, and for this reason most of the alligator observations were of animals swimming from one pond to another (35 of 50 observations), thereby avoiding crossing busy roads,” scientists wrote.
The sewer systems of Florida are teeming with an “abundance” of alligators, racoons, and a dozen other animals using the drain pipes to traverse the city, scientists reveal in a new study.
Citing a limitation of the research, scientists said the true count of some reptiles could be greater in the sewers as the camera trap system used in the study relied on an animal being warmer than its surroundings to trigger image capture.
Overall, scientists found a total of 35 species of vertebrates using the sewer system to navigate, including amphibians, reptiles, and birds.
Seven species of reptiles were also found, including the American alligator species Alligator mississippiensis “documented across the greatest number of sites”.
