Mating season means active alligators in Florida

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Nearly 9-foot alligator attacks man in his Florida yard

Reptile sunk its teeth into victim's leg

TAMPA – It's the season of love for Florida alligators. Mating season has begun and typically lasts through June.

Residents across the Tampa Bay area are starting to see alligators move from nearby bodies of water, like lakes and retention ponds, to their doorsteps, as male gators search for female mates.

According to alligator experts, the hotter weather is also impacting their movement.

"They are cold-blooded animals. Once it starts warming up, their bodies start warming up, and they start traveling," said Karina Paner, an alligator trapper and director at Croc Encounters in Tampa.

Paner said alligator mating season is the time of year when trappers get the most calls to catch nuisance gators.

"We just had one, in fact, the other day. It was a 5-foot alligator, and he was under someone's car," said Paner.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office posted a picture to social media showing a gator that strolled onto the tennis courts at the Englewood Sports Complex the southern part of the county.

Polk County resident Jeanne Smith snapped a picture of an alligator at her front door over the weekend.

"Males are on the move searching for females. Males are pushing smaller males out of their territories, and those smaller ones are out looking for new spots," explained Paner.

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