First Confirmed Record of American Alligator Nesting in Oklahoma

W. David Arbour Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, 201 North Central Street – Room 116, Idabel, OK 74745

Robert Bastarache Ouachita National Forest, 201 North Central Street – Room 116, Idabel, OK 74745

The American alligator (Alligator missis- at the Red Slough Wildlife Management sippiensis) is native to the coastal plain of Area in McCurtain County. An animal had the southeastern United States from North scraped the ground around the mound, pil- Carolina south to Florida and west to south ing up stems of bulrush (Scirpus sp.). The Texas, and north in the Mississippi River mound was 2 m wide by 1.8 m long at the floodplain to northeast Arkansas. In Okla- base, approximately 0.6 m tall, and 5.7 m homa, the American Alligator is native to from the edge of the water. A worn trail, the Gulf Coastal Plain of southeastern Okla- which passed through the dense bulrushes, homa, occurring in the Red and Little River led from the water to the mound. A patch systems of Choctaw, Bryan, McCurtain, and of wet mud was observed where the trail Love counties (Sievert and Sievert 2005). entered the water. Between 29 July 2005 and The species is on the increase in Oklahoma 3 August 2005, regular checks revealed more in recent years probably as a result of protec- alligator tracks and fresh material placed on tion from the Endangered Species Act and the mound each night. Initially, the mound of immigration from Arkansas resulting was somewhat flat on top but after several from successful restocking efforts there from nights of adding more material, the mound 1972-1984 (Trauth et al 2004). became approximately 1 m tall (Fig. 1) and Within Arkansas, Millwood Lake, and rounded on top. Between 4 August and 31 Grassy Lake (Little River drainage) contain August 2005, the senior author found no a robust alligator population and confirmed more sign of the alligator visiting the nest. records of nesting occurs in these locations However, on 1 September 2005, fresh alliga- (Kelly Irwin pers comm 2006). Nathan Gar- tor tracks were found by the nest. On the ner (pers comm 2006) indicated that within afternoon of 8 September 2005, the senior northeast Texas, juvenile alligators indica- author found the top of the mound torn tive of a breeding population have been open, and broken eggshells lined a mud found in the Sulphur River bottoms (Morris, trail between the nest and the water. Several Titus, Franklin, Hopkins, and Delta Coun- hatchlings, approximately 4 cm long, were ties) and within Red River tributaries (Red observed basking at the edge of the water. River and Lamar Counties). Sightings of An adult alligator, estimated to be 2.6 m alligators within southeast Oklahoma have long, was in the shallow water nearby, ap- increased over the past 10 years, mainly parently guarding the young. Terry Stuart, within the Little River drainage, although Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Techni- no reproduction of alligators has been docu- cian, was informed regarding the hatch, and mented. together we counted a total of 19 hatchlings On 28 July 2005, the senior author within the dense growth of American lotus observed a mound of vegetation on dry (Nelumbo lutea). We further opened the nest ground in a corner of the reservoir levee and found 1 egg that had not hatched. The

Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci.86: pp (2006) W. D. Arbour and R. Bastarache

Figure 1. Alligator nest at Red Slough WMA, summer 2005 (Photo by W. David Ar- bour).

abandoned nest was infested with fire ants focus on confirming the unverified nesting that were apparently feeding on the fluid reports and monitoring the existing popula- from the hatched eggs. The nest was very tion. moist and warm inside from the compost- ing litter. Mike Smith, ODWC Southeastern REFERENCES Regional Biologist, and Robert Bastarache, Oklahoma Ranger District Biologist, also Sievert G, Sievert L. 2005. A field guide to Oklahoma’s amphibians and reptiles. Oklahoma City (OK): visited the site and witnessed the event. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Unverified nesting reports and the pres- 205 p. ent observation lead us to believe the status Trauth SE, Robinson HW, Plummer MV. 2004. The amphibians and reptiles of Arkansas. Fayetteville of the American alligator in southeast Okla- (AR): The University of Arkansas Press. 421 p. homa is improving. Future efforts should Received:May 1, 2006; Accepted October 24, 2006.

Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci.86: pp (2006)