florida alligator ?

Question

my friend that lives down the road found a florida baby alligator and they have it in a little plastic pool with a tiny bit of water in it and a dry spot for it to lay on
she doesnt know what to feed it
she tried throwing frogs in but it didnt eat it ?
her dad was going fishing and is bringing home pinfish will it eat that ?
if not then what could you feed it ?

Answer 1

Call animal control and have them take care of it. Either it is healthy and needs to be released back into the wild or sick and they can make it better. They are not pets and should be left alone. Call animal control they will tell you what to do with it.

Answer 2

They need to let it go before the authorities find out about it and they get in deep poopoo for having an animal that they're not supposed to have. Alligators do not make good pets, and once they start to associate people with food (I wonder how that would ever happen in a situation like this...) they CANNOT be returned to the wild. 95% of alligator attacks on people here in Florida are linked to feeding.

Oh, but he's so cute and tiny and however will he take care of himself? That's his problem, if he doesn't make it to adulthood, he'll be food for a hawk, owl, egret, otter, heron, raccoon, eagle, bobcat, snapping turtle, bass, softshell turtle, you name it. Oh well. That's the way it goes, and that's the way it's gone for millions of years, and the way it will continue for millions more years if we don't mess things up by being selfish humans like we are.

Am I going to tell you what to tell your friend what to feed their "pet" that isn't a pet? Pardon my french, but hell no.

What are they going to do with it when it gets too big to handle? How long do they -really- think a little plastic pool is going to hold it? Do they realize that if it's kept correctly it will live at LEAST as long as they will?

I swear, sometimes I really think that people need to learn a bit before they go trying to mess with crap they don't know about. If they REALLY want to keep an alligator, here's how it SHOULD be done.

1. Do a bit of research BEFORE acquiring (including soul-searching on WHY you want to own an alligator).
2. Get experience working with crocodilians BEFORE acquiring.
3. Contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (or comparable state department) and inquire about how to go about LEGALLY keeping an alligator as a pet.
4. Acquire the necessary permits to LEGALLY keep an alligator as a pet.
5. Set up the habitat and/or enclosures as REQUIRED BY THE STATE to house said alligator.
6. Examine your motives for owning an alligator once again... this is a long term investment that doesn't always end happily for the alligator.
7. LEGALLY purchase alligator from a LICENSED dealer. DO NOT COLLECT WILD ALLIGATORS. BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD.


*mutters and wanders away*

Answer 3

Release that alligator now. It is against the law to feed or keep them as pets, florida protects the species, and this policy is in place to keep stupid people from ending up hurting the alligators or getting hurt themselves from handling/feeding/capturing the animals. Don't worry about what they eat, if one of you gets hurt that poor alligator will have to be put down for the stupidity of your friend.

Answer 4

It is against the law to feed alligators and ispunishable by up to $500 and/or 60 days in jail.

Answer 5

Let it go back home to the wild where it belongs

Answer 6

They need to let it go!!!! If they feed it, they will become used to humans and it could hurt someone.

Answer 7

if it does then, whoopee but if it doesn't then maybe some meat like steak or pork chops somthin small since its a baby.