GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A new study from the University of Florida and Centre College in Kentucky found that risky human actions, rather than aggressive alligator behavior, are the primary cause of alligator bites.
Published in Human—Wildlife Interactions, the research introduces a ranking system for human behaviors preceding alligator encounters, finding that 96% of incidents involve human inattention or risk-taking.
The study determined that alligator bites are largely preventable through awareness and caution.
“Bites can often be avoided if people stay vigilant and avoid risky behaviors, such as walking pets near water or swimming in areas known to have alligators,” said Frank Mazzotti, a wildlife ecology professor at UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center.
Alligator behavior patterns are influenced by seasonal changes, particularly during their mating season from April to June in Florida and the Southeast.
During this period, alligators exhibit increased movement and territorial behavior, heightening the need for human caution.
The study analyzed data from 1734 to 2021 using the CrocBITE database (now CrocAttack.org), supplemented by internet searches, literature reviews, and wildlife agency communications. Each incident was categorized by human behavior risk: no risk, low, moderate, or high.
Most bites were linked to moderate-risk actions, such as swimming or wading in alligator-inhabited waters, while fatal bites often followed high-risk behaviors, like deliberately entering these areas. Low or no-risk actions, such as walking near water, rarely resulted in bites.
“The data shows bites are typically tied to risky human actions,” said lead author Mark Teshera, a biology professor at Centre College.
“Alligators aren’t randomly attacking—they’re responding to stimuli like splashing or humans entering their territory.”
Alligators are not inherently aggressive but react defensively or instinctively to perceived threats or prey in their habitat.
The study compares entering alligator territory to navigating bear country or shark-infested waters, emphasizing the need for situational awareness.