American alligators are not shy about announcing their search for a mate.
Video captures large male American alligators performing their mating call, which involves grunting loudly as they search for a partner.
The alligators were filmed at the Alligator Lagoon in the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby, New South Wales.
“You’d be forgiven for thinking that maintenance workers were starting up a chorus of lawn mowers this morning at the Australian Reptile Park as loud rumbles echoed throughout the Park. In reality, it’s the symphony of 20 massive male American alligators searching for love in lockdown,” stated the Australian Reptile Park.
Keepers captured the loud bellows of the male residents of the Alligator Lagoon on video. The arrival of new male alligators heated things up as the competition for female attention intensifies.
“Having 20 new males join our mostly female population in May … has had a huge impact on the behavior that we normally see this time of year,” said Jake Meney, reptile keeper at the park.
“The sound of a male bellowing signals the start of breeding season, and we expect it as the weather warms up. But what we heard this morning was unlike anything else I’ve ever heard,” Meney said. “The new males are certainly keen to make themselves known.
“We timed the arrival of the new males for the beginning of winter [in Australia], when they typically are less active and there’s a lower chance of conflict. Because of this, the new arrivals were settling in really well. Now, as they come out of hibernation, it’s game on for the attention of a gorgeous female,” he said.
The park staff will keep a close eye on the alligators over the coming weeks. “Come summer, staff expects to see nests with little alligator eggs inside.”
The Australian Reptile Park has 55 American alligators — the largest population in the country.
“High-octane alligator feeding shows are one of the highlights for visitors to the Central Coast-based wildlife park,” the park states.
The process of releasing the alligators into the lagoon is considered extremely dangerous. Zookeepers open each box and hope the alligators head for the water and not for them.
American male alligators can grow to be more than 12 feet long and weigh as much as 1,000 pounds.
Edited by Fern Siegel and Judith Isacoff
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