A Louisiana alligator that got washed up on the Malaquite Beach on the Padre Island National Seashore in Corpus Christi last Monday puzzled park rangers on how it got to Texas.
According to the park rangers who found the unusual visitor, the alligator must have floated from the Mexican Gulf. The alligator has a foot tag, and its tail is notched, said the officials about the displaced reptile.
Usually, the patrol would encounter turtles on the Padre Island National Seashore, noted the National Park Service (NPS).
Kelly Taylor, Padre Island National Seashore Public Information Officer, spoke to CNN last Wednesday, "We're presuming it was swept out in one of Louisiana's flooding storms." She added, "It had a much of algae found on its back, that makes us think it had been drifting in the Gulf for a while."
She explained that alligators spend more time basking in the sun, which usually keeps the algae away, hinting how this reptile was in the water for quite some time.
No one knows what caused the alligator to have been found far out to sea. Louisiana has experienced several episodes of heavy rain in the last two months that have led to hazardous flash flooding in the area.
The National Weather Service said that Lake Charles experienced more than 12 inches of rain a week ago, the third most for a single day in the city's history and much more rain than during either of the hurricanes in 2020. Several days of severe weather struck the state in April, particularly New Orleans experienced near-record rainfall.
The park administration released a picture of the reptile last Tuesday, saying the alligator's length indicates that it's not too mature. The Louisiana alligator that got washed up is relatively young because of its size.
American alligators are one of the largest reptiles in North America, reaching 13 feet in length when matured, said the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
The National Wildlife Federation indicated this species is usually seen in the coastal swamps of the US Southeast, much further north as North Carolina, even as far west as eastern Texas.
One description of this reptile by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website is that alligators are not accustomed to saltwater but can stay in salty environments for a few hours or days. Most live in freshwater habitats like swampy areas, rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds
Since it is usually in freshwater, Taylor added the animal would be dehydrated after exposure to seawater. It was given fluids as a precaution.
The NPS remarked that the Padre Island National Seashore, located in South Texas, is the world's longest stretch of a pristine barrier island. It links the Gulf of Mexico with Laguna Madre, one of the world's few hypersaline lagoons.
Taylor mentioned that the alligator is in good condition although not in its element. Treatment is given and will be evaluated in a local rehabilitation center.
Sea turtles are the reptiles that the park deals with mainly. Hundreds of individuals visit these places each year to watch the hatchlings make their way out to the Gulf of Mexico. So, the Louisiana alligator that got washed up was an unusual surprise.
