Everyone out of the water--no, not E. coli nor shark--it's a gator!
-----Forwarded by Richard L Whitman/BRD/USGS/DOI on 10/27/2004 05:53PM -----
To: Richard L Whitman/BRD/USGS/DOI@USGS, Noel B Pavlovic/BRD/USGS/DOI@USGS, Ralph Grundel/BRD/USGS/DOI@USGS, Muruleedhara Byappanahali/BRD/CONT/USGS/DOI@USGS, Dawn Shively/BRD/CONT/USGS/DOI@USGS, Karen M Quinlan/BRD/USGS/DOI@USGS, Gary Glowacki/BRD/CONT/USGS/DOI@USGS, Crisley Handly/BRD/USGS/DOI@USGS, Krystal Potts/BRD/CONT/USGS/DOI@USGS, Rebecca Moose/BRD/CONT/USGS/DOI@USGS
From: Meredith Nevers/BRD/USGS/DOI
Date: 10/27/2004 12:24PM
Subject: Gator in the lake
Alligator found in Lake Michigan |
What is about two or two and half foot long and swims in Lake Michigan? Most people would say a Coho or Chinook salmon. But Indiana Conservation Officer Gene Davis now can answer "Alligator."
Responding to two separate calls, Officer Davis found a couple who had fished a live alligator from the waters of Lake Michigan in the Long Beach area. The first call stated that an alligator had been spotted in the surf close to the beach. The first caller had a picture of the reptile, but when she left to call someone, the alligator had left. Shortly after, a second call came in stating that Jill and Todd Thornberg at 2028 Lakeshore Dr. in Long Beach had the two and a half foot alligator in their possession. Davis found the alligator to be in surprisingly good condition.
"This is a perfect example of why people should not buy exotic animals and try to make them pets," Davis said. "People try to make wild animals into pets until they either get too mean, or the people get tired of taking care of them. Most people then try to find someone who will take the animals, and if they can't, they turn them loose. These people are not doing the animals any favors by turning them loose. In the case of the alligator, being a cold blooded reptile, it would die after the outside temperatures got low enough to cause the animal to slow its metabolism to a point that it would cease to function."
This alligator was fortunate to be found before it died and hopefully a home will be found for it.
Effective Oct. 23, the collection of eastern box turtles and their subspecies from the wild is illegal in Indiana. Individuals already possessing box turtles will need to obtain a possession permit from the Division of Fish and Wildlife. This can be done by calling 317-232-4080.
Posted 10/26/2004
| ![]() |
|
><(((> ><(((> ><(((> ><(((> ><(((> ><(((> ><(((>
Meredith Becker Nevers
Aquatic Ecologist
U.S. Geological Survey
Lake Michigan Ecological Research Station
1100 N. Mineral Springs Rd.
Porter, IN 46304
phone (219) 926-8336 ext. 425
fax (219) 929-5792
mnevers@usgs.gov
><(((> ><(((> ><(((> ><(((> ><(((> ><(((> ><(((>