Alligator Awareness

Alligator Behavior

Normal  behavior:

• Laying on pond edges and basking in the sun
• Moving from pond to pond which sometimes causes them to cross roads, trails and golf courses
• In mating season, males make bellowing sounds and slap their heads and tails in the water and females will hiss to protect their nests
• Lunging out of the water for prey

Abnormal behavior: 

• approaching humans and fishing lines

Kiawah Island is home to a very healthy population of American alligators. Most of the alligators seen on Kiawah will be between three to eight feet in length, though larger alligators up to 11 feet are present in some areas of the island. Alligators are cold-blooded, which means that they cannot self-regulate their body temperature as humans do. For this reason, alligators are most active during the spring, summer, and fall. They will often be seen basking on pond edges in the sun in an attempt to warm their body temperature, especially during colder weather.

Alligators move from pond to pond on land, which sometimes causes them to cross the island’s roads, trails, and golf courses. Although alligators have a heavy body, they are capable of short bursts of speed, especially in very short lunges. If you see an alligator, stay at least 60 ft. away.

Alligators’ main prey are smaller animals they can kill and eat with a single bite. They may kill larger prey by grabbing and dragging it into the water to drown. Alligators consume food that cannot be eaten in one bite by allowing it to rot, or by biting and then spinning or convulsing wildly until bite-sized chunks are torn off. This is referred to as a “death roll”.

NEVER feed the alligators and remind your families and guests not to do so. Everyone who feeds an alligator puts the community at risk and sets the stage for future dangerous interactions between these animals and humans.  If you witness someone feeding an alligator, do not wait, report them immediately to the Town (843-768-9166) during regular business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) or KICA Security (843-768-5566) anytime. 

Alligator Safety

• Never feed, harass, or approach alligators. When alligators are fed they lose their natural fear of people and learn to associate people with food. Feeding or harassing alligators is a criminal act punishable with fines up to $500 and 30 days in jail.
• Stay away from pond edges. 
• Never allow pets or children to approach pond edges. Alligators may interpret them as prey.
• Never wade or swim in any of the island ponds. Alligators may be present.
• If you see an alligator, stay at least 60 ft. away.
• Golfers should never play a ball that is close to a pond’s edge. 
• Do not disturb nests or small alligators; a mother alligator may react.
• Do not attempt to move alligators off the road.
• If an alligator attacks you, fight back by punching the head or jabbing your finger in the eye.
• If you find yourself face-to-face with an alligator, get out of the way fast. Run in a straight line, not in a zigzag fashion. 
• If you have a pond or lagoon in your back yard, never turn your back to the water when you are working in your yard. 

Alligator Mating Season 

April – Alligator courting beings

May – Mating Season begins and continues through June. During this time, alligators are more active and mobile and, therefore, more visible around the island. Male alligators participate in mating rituals that consist of announcing their presence with a low bellowing sound to attract their mates and slapping the water with their jaws and lifting their tails high, causing vibrations through the water.

June and July – Once the females have mated several times for the season, they begin building a nest from mud, plants, and sticks to lay their eggs. They often choose the edges of ponds that have healthy vegetation for protection.

Alligator Diet

Adult alligators are apex predators critical to the biodiversity of their habitat. They feed mainly on fish, turtles, snakes, deer, raccoons, and other small mammals. However, they are opportunists, and a hungry alligator will eat just about anything, including carrion and pets.

NEVER feed the alligators and remind your families and guests not to do so. Everyone who feeds an alligator puts the community at risk and sets the stage for future dangerous interactions between these animals and humans. If you witness someone feeding an alligator, do not wait, report them immediately to the Town (843-768-9166) during regular business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) or KICA Security (843-768-5566) anytime. 

Alligator Management

The Town and Community Association share the responsibilities for alligator management in a coordinated effort. Over the last decade, Kiawah’s alligator population has remained relatively stable. A stable population indicates a healthy ecosystem with balanced resources. Kiawah averages about one mature alligator (at least six feet in length) for every three acres of pond surface area.

Biologists monitor the island’s alligator population on an ongoing basis. Any alligator that is seen or reported acting abnormally is evaluated by one of the island’s biologists through a set of protocols to determine if it has lost its fear of humans. If it displays qualifying behavior, then the alligator is euthanized. There are no exceptions. Alligators that have lost their fear of humans is usually almost always a result of being fed by humans in the past. Never feed the alligators and remind your families and guests not to do so as well.

In 2019, the Town formed a committee of community entities and alligator experts to audit Kiawah’s alligator management practices. In February 2020, the committee recommended increased alligator safety and educational communications but had no changes to the island’s management protocol. The committee confirmed the alligator population is healthy and self-regulates, and any culling could disturb this balance and increase alligator issues.

Reporting Agressive Alligators

Aggressive or “nuisance” alligators have lost their fear of humans, usually as a result of being fed.  If you encounter an aggressive alligator or observe abnormal behavior (approaching you or your fishing line), please report it to the Town by phone (843-768-9166) during regular business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) or KICA Security (843-768-5566) anytime.

Alligator Awareness Efforts

Alligator warning signs are posted throughout the island, especially near ponds for public safety reminders. Alligator warnings are also on vehicle passes distributed at the gate and rental properties are required to notify renters of the danger of alligators as a part of their procedures prior to check-in.  The Town and the Community Association also runs awareness campaigns several times a year through numerous communication outlets.