Gators spotted in Lake Marble Falls: police

A Marble Falls animal control officer saw three alligators in the water of Lake Marble Falls.

MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — A trio of alligators was seen last week in Lake Marble Falls—an area where gators are a rare sight, according to Marble Falls police.

A Marble Falls animal control officer saw three alligators in the water of Lake Marble Falls on July 26 after a report of gators in the water. They were seen near Colorado Drive and Lake Marble Falls.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has not visually confirmed the alligator itself, but it is not unusual or unexpected for alligators to inhabit Burnet County, a spokesperson said.

Alligators are naturally shy and are not a concern for human safety, TPWD said. The department lets gators exist in areas of human habitation unless there's a specific concern that warrants removal.

TPWD said it is illegal to feed or harass gators, and feeding them can cause problems. American Alligators are carnivorous and typically eat fish, turtles, lizards, snakes, small mammals and other things they can catch, according to TPWD.

How common are gators in Texas?

Alligators have lived in Texas marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for centuries, according to TPWD. Today, gators are found along the southern U.S., including the eastern third of Texas. They are found in or near water—typically fresh but sometimes brackish.

The reptile’s peak breeding and nesting season is from March 1 to May 30, according to TPWD. From mid-October to March, they brumate, similar to hibernation.

A TPWD spokesperson previously told KXAN the department gets an influx of calls every spring, but the number of calls decreases in the summer as gator movements decrease in hotter weather. Most reports do not end in the removal of a gator.

There’s been a few interesting Texas gator sightings in recent years. In 2022, a 7.5-foot gator was found on South Padre Island and moved to a wildlife refuge. Also in 2022, a baby gator was found under a Midland County car. In 2016, the state’s largest gator, measuring 14 feet in length, was caught in Champion Lake, just east of Houston.

Gators were given complete species protection in 1969 in Texas, two years after they were listed as endangered aftermarket hunting and loss of habitat increased.

TPWD said gators were removed from the endangered species list in 1985 after about 15 years of protection.