Q: Are you allowed to buy alligators for pets in Florida? And if so, can you bring them across state lines? I am going to Orlando this summer and wanted one as a pet.

A: Whoa! Keeping an alligator as a pet is a very bad idea, my friend.

First of all, you cannot just buy an alligator in Florida to keep captive. Apparently, you used to be able to buy baby alligators at souvenir shops in Florida, but now alligators are protected and highly regulated. Anyone who keeps an alligator captive must have special licenses -- and must really know what he or she is doing!

And before you think about taking an alligator from the wild, you should be aware that's regulated, too. Removing alligators from their natural habitat is against state law. In fact, there are also state laws against harassing and feeding alligators.

Keeping an alligator as a pet may seem like an exotic and exciting thing to do, but a 3rd reason against your idea is that alligators just don't make good pets. They require a large wet habitat to live in and live prey to eat. They can be aggressive and dangerous at times. They can grow to 12 feet long and more. All these factors can make alligators hard to maintain as captive animals, especially away from their natural habitat.

Since originally answering this question, EcoFlorida has received several e-mail messages from people protesting this advice. All of them seem to be from people who have baby alligators telling us what a wonderful pet they have. But interestingly enough, they don't mention what they're going to do with the alligator once it grows to 4 feet or more.

Because we love wildlife (emphasis on the wild) and because we believe in the ethical treatment of all pets, we don't advise keeping an animal captive that you will later have to release. Releasing an alligator that has been held captive puts other people in jeopardy as the alligator comes into contact with people it happens upon -- because the alligator has become too used to people and lost its natural fear, increasing the chance of attack. Unless you are prepared to care for a non-domesticated animal for the rest of its life, then do a favor for the animal, yourself and the potential wild lands it would be released into -- and just don't do it. One person even indicated keeping an alligator in his/her house during the cold winter in a central state. This is a far cry from the subtropical wetland that alligators are intended to live in. We don't think living in a house is the best life for an alligator. Wildlife live the best life when they are allowed to live wild.

If you are truly interested in reptiles, why not learn about them and then purchase a lizard at your local pet store? You can always visit alligators in the wild at various natural areas throughout the southeastern states.

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