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At Least One Florida Sewage System Is Swimming With Alligators, Study Shows

New research reveals that thousands of animals, including alligators and snakes, are using Gainesville’s sewage systems for hunting, travel, and breeding.

ByCaLea Johnson|
Many alligators were found in Alachua County‘s sewage system.
Many alligators were found in Alachua County‘s sewage system. | George Shelley Productions/GettyImages

American alligators—not to be confused with crocodiles—are common in Florida. They normally reside in marshes, swamps, rivers, farm ponds, and lakes, but those aren’t the only environments they’re known to roam. According to a new study in the journal Urban Naturalist, the reptiles were recently documented traveling throughout Gainesville’s Alachua County sewage system along with other animals.     

According to the BBC, researchers planted cameras in stormwater sewer systems to better understand wildlife activity within the pipes. What the scientists found was surprising. They recorded 35 species, ranging from mammals to reptiles to amphibians, from February to May 2023. More than 3700 animals in total were caught on film. Although some snakes showed up on camera, alligators were the most-spotted reptile, with 50 sightings across five locations. Mammals overall were most likely to frequent the sewers, and raccoons and Southeastern myotis bats alone accounted for half of the documented specimens.

The study also showed the various ways animals take advantage of the pipe systems. Some species use them as hunting grounds, while others use them for breeding. Stormwater sewer systems also become modes of travel; unlike sanitary sewer systems, which carry wastewater from buildings to wastewater treatment plants, stormwater sewer systems channel rainwater into larger bodies of water. Some small animals, such as frogs and snakes, may accidentally end up underground when they get swept up by storms. 

The authors acknowledge some limitations in their research, saying that amphibians and reptiles might be underrepresented in the data. The cameras used in the study mainly detected animals based on heat, making it more difficult to catch cold-blooded creatures.

Nonetheless, the researchers hope their findings will encourage ecologically conscious city-planning designs. Designers could use the information to make sewers safer for wildlife, such as by making them easier to escape. More research is also needed to understand why animals enter the sewage systems in the first place.

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