Birds, Lizards, and Gators, Oh My!! Wildlife In Hilton Hean

With a cup of coffee in one hand, a newspaper in the other, and a rocking chair on a back porch, mornings in Hilton Head are peaceful, leisurely, and often joined by a predictably active wildlife. Turtles sunning on rocks, lizards sunning on decks or stucco walls, alligators peering out of lagoons, and birds of all shapes, sizes and colors announcing their arrival to the morning. One might say it is therapeutic to watch.

Photographing in Hilton Head is truly a treat to us. We enjoy watching families from all over the United States and even the world come to the island and appreciate their surroundings. Our home town in Charlotte has many wonderful features, but the package that Hilton Head offers is truly unique.

A continuing tradition for returning families is the who-can-spot-the-first-alligator game. Understand that many folks do not live in areas where alligators commonly roam, here are some helpful pointers from Hilton Head Island to keep you safe when interacting with these big fellas.

We locals have an arrangement with the alligators: we leave them alone and they leave us alone. You would be wise to honor that arrangement. Alligators are not normally aggressive toward humans but they are dangerous. An alligator can outrun a horse for a limited distance. Human adults are too big to be alligator prey, but small children and pets are vulnerable, and an angry alligator knows no fear and will go after anything that bothers it. Here are some rules to keep you out of harm's way:

A mother alligator protecting its nest is about the only circumstance an alligator will attack without provocation. This could occur in wooded or brushy areas near lagoons. Nesting is typically May through August, and the mother protects the hatchlings for one to three years.

Feeding alligators is illegal for a good reason. If an alligator sees humans as a source of food, it stands to reason it will approach humans. Alligators lack social skills - they won't ask nicely for a handout. To feed an alligator is to sign its death warrant, for it will become aggressive and will soon be "removed" (yes, killed).

Never, ever, let small children or pets play in lagoons or on the banks of lagoons. Alligators are so fast a pet can vanish before its owner can take a deep breath.

If you catch a fish in a lagoon and an alligator wants it, give it up. Reeling in the fish close to you is a very bad idea, as the alligator will see you as competition for food.

If someone tells you there are no alligators in a given lagoon all they have done is display their ignorance about alligators. Alligators move around and frequently relocate. A male can cover 1,000 acres in search of mates.

There have been very rare instances of alligators at the beach. Alligators can stand salt water but prefer fresh or brackish, so an alligator at the beach is out of its normal environment and probably lost. Just keep away from it - if possible report it.

It has been said that the way to tell the length of an alligator is to measure the distance between its eyes in inches, which will tell you its length in feet. This sounds like a very bad idea if the alligator is alive.

For more information on Hilton Head's wildlife scene, click here.

photography Hilton Head