Alligators In The Sewers

by Kandice Thompson

Real Alligators of the Sewers, by: The Crazz Files

Many people believe the myth of alligators living in the sewers. Many people also believe that alligators are more likely to live in the big cities with cold weather. Not like Miami, where alligators are popular there, but in a cold city like New York, alligators are not. Living in cold cities, alligators would not be able to live in the sewers because they are reptiles, and reptiles are cold blooded. In the city, Miami, alligators are usually normal. As stated on http://animalquestions.org/reptiles/alligators/ “Although it is true that alligator attacks on humans have occurred from time to time, as a general rule alligators do not typically attack humans unless provoked in some way first.” Most cases, there are some people who will wrestle with alligators just for fun, but usually it is known to just ignore them and not make them feel threatened. Alligators would also not be able to live in cold climate sewers because of the diseases that might be in them. There are all types of things that are in sewers. There is sewage, diseases, and disposal from homes that transport into the sewer system. Living in the sewers , alligators would not be able to survive in that type of environment with all of the disposal in the sewers.

There are many different stories on how exactly alligators get into the sewer system. But there are questions if it is true, or just a myth. In the late nineteen twenties and early nineteen thirties there was a popular story of a group of kids who was shoveling snow into a manhole. In that manhole, an alligator was found. No evidence was shown because the alligator attacked the children making the children with no choice but to kill it. Another one of the big stories on how alligators might have ended up into the sewers was by families giving their children baby alligators as pets. When the alligator grows too big and the family was unable to handle the reptiles, they would flush the creatures down the toilet.

On some accounts about alligators, there was pictures and videos to show evidence of alligators in the sewers. Some pictures showed construction pulling out an alligators with rope around the mouth to keep it from attacking. Other evidence that was given was a video on an alligator standing still in a drain just staring at the camera. The alligator did not move or attack. But one thing that stood out in the video was a ball in front of the alligator. Possibly the reptile was looking for someone or something to come down and get the ball, so it could attack.

Work cited:
“Alligator Found In Uptown Sewer.” New York Times, 10 Feb. 1935, http://www.sewerhistory.org/grfx/misc/critters.htm. 22 Oct. 2018

“Alligators in the Sewers”. Sewer History, 2004, http://www.sewerhistory.org/grfx/misc/critters.htm.

Bartholomew, Robert E. “Alligators in the Sewers!” Skeptic, vol. 21, no. 1, Mar. 2016, pp.60-61 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=113837291&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Gormley, Jesse. “Could Alligators Survive In The Sewers of New York City?” Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, July 2018, https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/alligators-cant-live-in-the-sewers/.

Mikkelson, David. “ Do Alligators Live in the Sewers?” Snopes, 10 July 1999, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/alligators-sewers/.

Radford,Benjamin. “Do Alligators Really Live In New York City Sewers?” LiveScience, 3 June 2011, https://www.livescience.com/33322-alligators-crocodiles-new-york-city-sewers.html.

Speed, Barbara.“Yes, They Really Have Found Alligators in the New York Sewer System.” City Metric, 12 Aug, 2014, https://www.citymetric.com/yes-they-really-have-found-alligators-new-york-sewer-system-102

“Man Discovers Huge Alligator Hiding In Sewer Outside His Home.” Youtube, 13 Dec. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCWoxeOUJzc.

“Do Alligators Attack Humans?”, Animal Questions, 2018, http://animalquestions.org/reptiles/alligators/. 26 Oct. 2018.

Links for further research:
“Do Alligators Attack Humans?
http://animalquestions.org/reptiles/alligators/
Although crocodiles attack anything that moves in their sight, alligators are different. Alligators only attack when they feel threatened or their young is at harm. The female alligators give a warning when they feel they feel like they are being attacked. They give a hissing sound or they will open their mouth to let you know, to back off. Once you back off, then you won't be a meal. Most alligators eat fish but if they are hungry enough they will eat and find anything up to human size.

“Do Alligators Hibernate”
http://animalquestions.org/reptiles/alligators/do-alligators-hibernate/
Alligators are cold blooded.They have to stay in warm areas in order to live. Alligators have common sense to move to different locations to find heat. If the environment is too cold for them, they will try to go underground to find warmth. Even though they need warmth to live they are able to be in 40 degree Fahrenheit climate.

“Alligators of the Sewer- Real Ones!”
http://crazzfiles.com/alligators-of-the-sewers-real-ones/
In the early nineteen hundreds, an alligator was found in the sewers of New York City. New York City, Commissioner of Sewers, Teddy May, was told many stories on alligators living in the sewers, but he did not want to listen to them at first. He decided to investigate himself after hearing so many stories.