alligators and little dogs? (Georgetown: home, neighborhood, buy)
Myrtle Beach - Conway areaHorry County
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I am looking to move. I live in Upstate NY and have a yorkie and a chihuahua. I am concerned because I've heard about alligator problems in SC and Florida. My friend is trying to convince me to move to SC. I enjoy long walks, trail walks, etc.
I wouldn't agree that we have "alligator problems" here, they're simply part of our environment. If you choose to move to coastal SC, alligators are one of the indigenous components of this area, along with the beaches, ocean, osprey, dolphin, snakes, etc. They all come along as part of the package.
Regardless, alligators and small dogs do not generally co-exist in a peaceful manner. Alligators are not usually aggressive but small barking dogs can change that. It depends a lot where you live and choose to spend time. You won't find alligators far from fresh water. I wouldn't recommend walking small dogs along ponds or creeks where alligators are known to live. If you buy property that backs up to water, the dog should either be kept inside or fenced.
The alligators are generally smaller there, and fewer in numbers than what you'd find in FL, however there are exceptions to this. Another thing to remember is that coastal SC experiences winter, although it's very mild. During the winter months, alligators become very lazy and dormant. They don't move around much, and they like to lay in the sun. I don't know why they do this.
I've traveled the South a good bit, and I'd never say that alligators are a major part of the coastal SC wildlife experience (like deer are in PA), however you will see them from time to time. It's nothing like the man-eating monsters you'll find in South Florida or anything...Not in numbers, or size for that matter.
Yep, they're all small, cuddly little gators, like the 12' one that bit off a man's arm a couple years ago, or the 10.5' one a 16 year old cheerleader bagged a few weeks ago with a crossbow.
Alligators become semi-dormant during cold months because they are cold-blooded. Their metabolism is controlled by ambient temperatures. They are still dangerous. Their speed over short distances can be shocking.
While they are uncommon on the beaches or saltwater marshes, they maintain a significant presence in any fresh or brackish waterways near the coast. I frequently kayak the area rivers and it's common to spot a dozen or more on a relatively short trip. That's not counting the ones you don't see. In 2008, SC initiated an alligator hunting season, in an effort to begin controlling alligator populations. Most naturalists believe it was a political move to appease the influx of new residents, rather than something that will have a measurable impact on alligator populations.
The news about the cheerleader catching the alligator in SC made the USA Today? YOU GO GIRL!
I've been in South Carolina since May and I've yet to see one alligator. I do a lot of running and biking and I have two dogs (one big, one small) that I walk two times a day...sometimes more. We live in a residential neighborhood though so I guess it depends on where you're going to be doing your walking.
Yep, they're all small, cuddly little gators, like the 12' one that bit off a man's arm a couple years ago, or the 10.5' one a 16 year old cheerleader bagged a few weeks ago with a crossbow.
Woah. I didn't know about all of that. That's cool that they get that big so far up on the coast. I hope I see a few that size.
I wouldn't agree that we have "alligator problems" here, they're simply part of our environment. If you choose to move to coastal SC, alligators are one of the indigenous components of this area, along with the beaches, ocean, osprey, dolphin, snakes, etc. They all come along as part of the package.
Regardless, alligators and small dogs do not generally co-exist in a peaceful manner. Alligators are not usually aggressive but small barking dogs can change that. It depends a lot where you live and choose to spend time. You won't find alligators far from fresh water. I wouldn't recommend walking small dogs along ponds or creeks where alligators are known to live. If you buy property that backs up to water, the dog should either be kept inside or fenced.
Agree with this 100%
There is no alligator problem; there is a people problem!
And yes, I agree, alligators are not generally known to attack people unprovoked, but they are known to attack small critters like dogs.
I have a small dog that I walk sometimes at night I live in a nice development with a pond down the street there was a six foot gator that was removed. It started comimg out the water near our strret I do not know what hey did with that thing. But I will shoot it if one gets to close to my home or pets
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