OCHOPEE, Fla. — An infrared trail camera captured video of the frightening sights and sounds of Florida's alligators after dark.
Photographer Bobby Wummer took a video of the alligators at Big Cypress National Preserve.
The video shows the gators posturing aggressively and roaring. Alligator mating season is now underway, meaning many gators will be showing up in places they're not normally expected to be seen.
According to Gator Alley Farm, adult alligators engage in complex mating rituals. Their search begins by announcing their presence with a low bellowing sound to attract a mate. Males will also slap the water with their jaws and lift their tails high, causing vibrations throughout the swamp. They do use scents as well, releasing an odor from their musk glands.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says that typically courtship begins in early April, and mating occurs in May or June.
Females build a mound nest of soil and vegetation and deposit approximately 32 to 46 eggs in late June or early July. Incubation requires approximately 60-65 days, and hatching occurs in late August or early September.
Of those eggs, an estimated four alligators will reach maturity. Alligators are cold blooded and they regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun or moving to areas with warmer or cooler air or water.
They are most active when temperatures are between 82-92 degrees. FWC says they stop feeding when the temperature drops below approximately 70 degrees, and they become dormant below 55 degrees. Alligators are dormant throughout much of the winter.