How did alligators get in the Rio Grande River?

Illegal migrants from Mexico frequently swim or ride inner tubes across the Rio Grande to reach the United States. Crocodiles do not normally inhabit the river, and authorities suspect it may have been brought to the area as a pet and then released into the river by its owner.

Are there crocodiles or alligators in the Rio Grande?

An 1898 volume of the U.S. National Museum states alligators occur as far south as the Rio Grande. Whatever their origins, the RGV has harbored a relatively small population of alligators along the coast at least since the 1970’s.

Are there crocodiles in New Mexico?

New Mexico Alligators. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is one of 22 crocodilian species worldwide. The other native crocodilian is the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). American crocodiles and caimans are olive-brown in color and have more pointed snouts.

Can alligators survive in the Rio Grande River?

Not alligators. According to an article posted on KGNS, alligators in the Rio Grande are rare but not all that uncommon. Tomo Miller with the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center told the station that these creatures should be reaching the Rio Grande from nearby rivers or were abandoned pets.

Are there alligators in Laredo TX?

Aug. 27, 2020 Updated: Aug. A spectacled caiman was found in Laredo and donated to the Laredo College Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center Thursday. …

Can alligators survive in the Rio Grande?

Are the alligators in Texas?

Alligators have inhabited Texas’ marshes, swamps, rivers, ponds, and lakes for many centuries. Alligators are found in 10 different states, and here in Texas they are found in 120 of 254 counties, including Fort Bend.

Are crocodiles indigenous to the United States?

Crocodiles and alligators belong to a group of reptiles called crocodilians, which are the largest of the living reptiles. Of the 23 different species of crocodilians in the world, 2 species are native to the United States, and south Florida is the only place where both of these species coexist.

Which states have alligators?

American alligators are found in the southeast United States: all of Florida and Louisiana; the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi; coastal South and North Carolina; East Texas, the southeast corner of Oklahoma, and the southern tip of Arkansas. Louisiana has the largest alligator population.

Is there alligators in Del Rio Texas?

According to an article posted on KGNS, alligators in the Rio Grande are rare but not all that uncommon. Tomo Miller with the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center told the station that these creatures should be reaching the Rio Grande from nearby rivers or were abandoned pets.