Gator

FLAG! · 09-24-2007, 03:55 PM

Okay, I'm not crazy and like to believe I'm not stupid. However, I've thought long and hard about what it was I saw in the water on Saturday near Dow island. While fishing with a partner we both commented on how much a stick floating in the water looked like an alligator. It was drifting motionless. It had a long-ish body portion just poking above the water and the perfect shape of the eyes and snout, just the way a gator floats in the water. We even joked about it being a gator. The stick was roughly 150 feet away from us. But after about 5 minutes the stick quickly went under, head first with a nice swirl in the water behind it. I thought it could have been an otter or a beaver, but the back was too rough and bumpy to be either and I have never seen a beaver rest motionless in the water, and I don't believe I've ever seen otters in the lake. I've seen them at umbagog but not winni.

So I am not convinced that what I saw was not an alligator. It is possible that someone released a pet alligator. The question is, how long would one survive in the lake. What temperatures could an alligator tolerate?

Anyone care to shed light on this?

by the way, I would estimate the length to be 6 to 7 feet

HomeWood · 09-24-2007, 04:01 PM

That was Winni, the lake monster.

Captain Zipper · 09-24-2007, 06:16 PM

Could it have been an eel? They were talked about recently in another post.

CZ

GWC... · 09-24-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLAG!

Okay, I'm not crazy and like to believe I'm not stupid. However, I've thought long and hard about what it was I saw in the water on Saturday near Dow island. While fishing with a partner we both commented on how much a stick floating in the water looked like an alligator. It was drifting motionless. It had a long-ish body portion just poking above the water and the perfect shape of the eyes and snout, just the way a gator floats in the water. We even joked about it being a gator. The stick was roughly 150 feet away from us. But after about 5 minutes the stick quickly went under, head first with a nice swirl in the water behind it.

So I am not convinced that what I saw was not an alligator. It is possible that someone released a pet alligator. The question is, how long would one survive in the lake. What temperatures could an alligator tolerate?

Anyone care to shed light on this?

by the way, I would estimate the length to be 6 to 7 feet

Did it look like this?

P.S.- They love marshmellows...

SAMIAM · 09-24-2007, 06:29 PM

Put a bikini on the aligator and the marine patrol will show up.

WeirsBeachBoater · 09-24-2007, 06:48 PM

To be Winni, but it could be a baby polypigamortimus.

jrc · 09-24-2007, 07:17 PM

Maybe a big turtle?

Rattlesnake Gal · 09-24-2007, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLAG!

The question is, how long would one survive in the lake. What temperatures could an alligator tolerate?

Have you ever seen Lake Placid? Just over the border in Maine, those crocs acclimated quite nicely.

Back to being serious, you may be correct. Recently there was an alligator found in Nashua. Why is this legal to sell such dangerous pets as this?

codeman671 · 09-24-2007, 08:10 PM

Standard issue Winnfabbs alligator boat used for surveillance for spotting GFBL's... Like the alligator boat in Octopussy!

Island Life · 09-24-2007, 09:27 PM

Oh great! One more thing to think about when I'm swimming alone next summer.

ApS · 09-25-2007, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLAG!

"...But after about 5 minutes the stick quickly went under, head first with a nice swirl in the water behind it..."

In the winter, I live lakeside in Central Florida. (And if you're at a lake in Florida, that means you have alligators in your lake).

Gators are shy critters, and mostly just "hang out" on the surface. Very few are "cruising". (Although I saw three ducks followed by a "stick" once. The rearmost duck repeatedly paddled back to check out "the stick", which was a cruising gator!)

When gators are at the surface, you can't see the last foot or two of their tails. If you see it again, the rule for estimating length is to multiply the length of their eyes-to-nose-distance by ten to get their full length.

Even when disturbed, all the gators I've seen sink slowly from view—with their eyes the last to disappear from the surface. They leave no swirl.

Otters swimming on the surface make a pronounced dive, bending in the middle, as do beavers. My guess, since beavers use their broad tail in diving and swimming, is that the beaver would leave the bigger swirl.

Until recent years, there were two beaver lodges just east of Wolfeboro's airport, one being just 50 feet from a roadway. The nearer lodge had at least one beaver active this May—in plain view of rafting boaters—but haven't seen any lodge activity after then.

wires1999 · 09-25-2007, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Life

Oh great! One more thing to think about when I'm swimming alone next summer.

Don't worry, I'm sure it wasn't an alligator. They are cold blooded reptiles that don't create body heat so if it's not spotted sunning on land at some point then it surely won't survive the cold.

Coolbreeze · 09-25-2007, 08:05 AM

Unless it is a mutant gator which thrives in cool water and climates.
I run like a little girl when I see snakes, I think I would p**p in my pants if I saw a gator in the lake!

KPW · 09-25-2007, 10:16 AM

There are otters in Winni - I have seen them at Pier 19

Mr. V · 09-25-2007, 10:31 AM

Not an alligator: a crocodile.

There's a difference.

wildwoodfam · 09-25-2007, 11:36 AM

Would not worry about running into a gator next summer - this one (if it really is a released pet) would not survive the winter - freeze. Then again - if somebody was stupid enough to release this one - then who knows - maybe they will release the baby sister next spring!

webmaster · 09-25-2007, 01:28 PM

Here is a post from Skip from 2003 with an applicable RSA. It is part of this interesting thread about someone relocating and releasing baby turtles from NYC.

Bubba · 09-25-2007, 02:28 PM

I can confirm otters in the lake. I have spotted otter several different times in Wolfeboro.

Rattlesnake Guy · 09-25-2007, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolbreeze

Unless it is a mutant gator which thrives in cool water and climates.
I run like a little girl when I see snakes, I think I would p**p in my pants if I saw a gator in the lake!

LOL.....
Make sure you do this out of the lake or it will start a new thread...

Coolbreeze · 09-26-2007, 04:51 PM

LOL... Believe me, If I saw a crok or a gator on the lake, there would be more than just a thread started on this forum!!!!! People would see me running on the surface of the water. The only good place for reptiles, other than far from me, is Florida or the Zoo. Not my beautiful lake!

HomeWood · 09-27-2007, 12:03 AM

I caught a huge snapping turtle swimming on the surface in front of the house once. It was probably around 40 pounds. I pulled it in by the tail to show everybody and then released it. It went right back to swimming on the surface. I've never seen a snapper do that before this one. It sure was determined on getting to it's destination.

Newbiesaukee · 09-27-2007, 08:04 AM

My step-grandaughter was visiting us last summer and is leery of any "water-creature." I assured her that there were no human predators in the lake. When I finally convinced her to take a dip, she came screaming out of the water and indicated her sighting of a sea monster. After chiding her in a nice way

I investigated and found a very sick 3 foot cusk at the surface. I must admit that until I realized what it was, it was a little scary looking. Who knew?? She now refuses to reenter the lake and I have lost all of my "wildlife" credibility.

09-24-2007, 03:55 PM	#1
FLAG! Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Upton, MA Posts: 112 Thanks: 44 Thanked 14 Times in 6 Posts	Gator Okay, I'm not crazy and like to believe I'm not stupid. However, I've thought long and hard about what it was I saw in the water on Saturday near Dow island. While fishing with a partner we both commented on how much a stick floating in the water looked like an alligator. It was drifting motionless. It had a long-ish body portion just poking above the water and the perfect shape of the eyes and snout, just the way a gator floats in the water. We even joked about it being a gator. The stick was roughly 150 feet away from us. But after about 5 minutes the stick quickly went under, head first with a nice swirl in the water behind it. I thought it could have been an otter or a beaver, but the back was too rough and bumpy to be either and I have never seen a beaver rest motionless in the water, and I don't believe I've ever seen otters in the lake. I've seen them at umbagog but not winni. So I am not convinced that what I saw was not an alligator. It is possible that someone released a pet alligator. The question is, how long would one survive in the lake. What temperatures could an alligator tolerate? Anyone care to shed light on this? by the way, I would estimate the length to be 6 to 7 feet

09-24-2007, 06:16 PM	#3
Captain Zipper Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Granby, Ct. Posts: 138 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Eel? Could it have been an eel? They were talked about recently in another post. CZ

09-24-2007, 06:48 PM	#6
WeirsBeachBoater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 709 Blog Entries: 9 Thanks: 39 Thanked 148 Times in 65 Posts	Too small To be Winni, but it could be a baby polypigamortimus.

09-24-2007, 08:10 PM	#9
codeman671 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,360 Thanks: 209 Thanked 764 Times in 448 Posts	Standard issue Winnfabbs alligator boat used for surveillance for spotting GFBL's... Like the alligator boat in Octopussy! Attached Images

09-24-2007, 09:27 PM	#10
Island Life Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 273 Thanks: 12 Thanked 6 Times in 2 Posts	Oh great! One more thing to think about when I'm swimming alone next summer. __________________ Island Life the way my grandparents' grandparents enjoyed it - but with a faster boat!!!

09-24-2007, 04:01 PM	#2
HomeWood Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Clayton,NC / Sanbornton,NH Posts: 610 Thanks: 125 Thanked 136 Times in 74 Posts	That was Winni, the lake monster.

09-24-2007, 06:29 PM	#5
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,836 Thanks: 326 Thanked 1,626 Times in 562 Posts	Put a bikini on the aligator and the marine patrol will show up.

09-24-2007, 07:17 PM	#7
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Maybe a big turtle?

09-25-2007, 08:05 AM	#13
Coolbreeze Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 332 Thanks: 0 Thanked 51 Times in 26 Posts	Unless it is a mutant gator which thrives in cool water and climates. I run like a little girl when I see snakes, I think I would p**p in my pants if I saw a gator in the lake!

09-25-2007, 10:16 AM	#14
KPW Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 378 Thanks: 710 Thanked 116 Times in 58 Posts	Otters There are otters in Winni - I have seen them at Pier 19

09-25-2007, 10:31 AM	#15
Mr. V Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the left coast (Portland)and West Alton Posts: 1,326 Thanks: 61 Thanked 235 Times in 159 Posts	Not an alligator: a crocodile. There's a difference.

09-25-2007, 11:36 AM	#16
wildwoodfam Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: North Andover, MA & summers up at the BIG lake Posts: 285 Thanks: 5 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Gator could not survive the winter freeze. Would not worry about running into a gator next summer - this one (if it really is a released pet) would not survive the winter - freeze. Then again - if somebody was stupid enough to release this one - then who knows - maybe they will release the baby sister next spring!

09-25-2007, 01:28 PM	#17
webmaster Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 2,432 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 438 Thanked 3,726 Times in 824 Posts	It's Illegal! Here is a post from Skip from 2003 with an applicable RSA. It is part of this interesting thread about someone relocating and releasing baby turtles from NYC.

09-25-2007, 02:28 PM	#18
Bubba Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Merrimack, NH & East Alton, NH Posts: 65 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	KPW is correct I can confirm otters in the lake. I have spotted otter several different times in Wolfeboro.

09-26-2007, 04:51 PM	#20
Coolbreeze Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 332 Thanks: 0 Thanked 51 Times in 26 Posts	LOL... Believe me, If I saw a crok or a gator on the lake, there would be more than just a thread started on this forum!!!!! People would see me running on the surface of the water. The only good place for reptiles, other than far from me, is Florida or the Zoo. Not my beautiful lake!

09-27-2007, 12:03 AM	#21
HomeWood Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Clayton,NC / Sanbornton,NH Posts: 610 Thanks: 125 Thanked 136 Times in 74 Posts	I caught a huge snapping turtle swimming on the surface in front of the house once. It was probably around 40 pounds. I pulled it in by the tail to show everybody and then released it. It went right back to swimming on the surface. I've never seen a snapper do that before this one. It sure was determined on getting to it's destination.

09-27-2007, 08:04 AM	#22
Newbiesaukee Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Coral Gables, winter; Long Island, summer Posts: 1,349 Thanks: 922 Thanked 569 Times in 295 Posts	My step-grandaughter was visiting us last summer and is leery of any "water-creature." I assured her that there were no human predators in the lake. When I finally convinced her to take a dip, she came screaming out of the water and indicated her sighting of a sea monster. After chiding her in a nice way I investigated and found a very sick 3 foot cusk at the surface. I must admit that until I realized what it was, it was a little scary looking. Who knew?? She now refuses to reenter the lake and I have lost all of my "wildlife" credibility.