Parasites of American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in South Florida

Although much has been written concerning the ecology of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), little data exists concerning parasites in alligator populations in southern Florida. Fogarty (1974. Environments of South Florida: present and past. Mem. Miami Geol. Soc. 2, 452 p.) reported that parasites appeared to be minimal in Everglades alligator populations in south Florida, but based his conclusion on data from other areas. Thus, the objectives of our study were to determine the overall frequency of several different parasites in southern Florida alligators, and to correlate parasite number with the size, sex, and habitat of the host alligators. Parasites were obtained from 30 alligators captured in seven counties in southern Florida from June 1980 to December 1980. These alligators were killed and their hides and meat utilized through the nuisance alligator control program which is sanctioned by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Commission.