LAKE CHARLES, La. — Within the bountiful marshes and swamps of Southwest Louisiana resides a beast. Broad of face, with a flat, round snout, this predator feeds on fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, birds, mammals, and carrion—and has been known to occasionally attack humans. Yet as vicious as this reptile can be, it fascinates visitors to the region—and our residents alike.

Along the roads that traverse the marshlands, warm, sunny days bode well for sightings of an American alligator, which derives its name from the Spanish el lagarto, or "the lizard." Ranging in length up to 14 feet, alligators can readily be seen lounging on land or drifting along on a slowly moving current. While afloat, it is often only the alligator’s beady eyes that break the water’s surface. Both its log-shaped body and short, webbed legs are submersed, enabling this seemingly docile reptile to quietly close in on its prey.

One of the top-level predators of the marsh, the wild alligator harvest has an economic impact on the state of Louisiana in the range of $8 to $10 million each year, according to Guthrie Perry, program manager for the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge.

In addition to being a lure for visitors to the area, the alligator is currently harvested for meat and its hide, a durable leather that is used in fine apparel. As important as the alligator is to the region, dwindling populations forced harvesting to be ceased in Louisiana in 1962, and onto the federal government’s endangered species list in the early 1970s.

Research conducted at the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge near Grand Chenier, Louisiana, turned the tide — so to speak — for the alligator. Based on tracking and tagging surveys in the Southwest Louisiana marsh, researchers Ted Joanen and Larry McNeese documented the alligator’s nesting habits and other life history requirements, thus ensuring that a controlled harvest could occur without harming the overall population.

Their findings indicated that after mating, which occurs in the spring, the male seeks its own territory, while the female builds a nest of mud and plants in the marsh, above flood level. The female stands guard as the eggs hatch, which occurs in approximately 60 days, then may remain near her young for nearly a year or more. This nesting cycle finds the more adult males in the open ditches and the reproducing females back in the marshin late summer.

The biologists determined a successful harvest could be held during  September — when the adult males were exposed. With the assistance of Alan Ensminger, then chief of Louisiana’s refuges, and Burton Angelle, director of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fishers, they were able to convince the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries to conduct an experimental harvest in Cameron Parish in 1972. Additional harvests were held in nearby Vermilion Parish in 1973; in Calcasieu Parish in 1975; and along the Gulf Coast in 1979.

Strict controls on the number of alligators harvested have guaranteed the success of the annual hunt. The only exceptions since the first fall harvest were in 1974 and 1978. These controls include the use of locked, numbered tags that are attached to each harvested animal before it leaves the marsh. These tags and control numbers enable the state to follow the movement of an animal from the marsh to the buyer. The tags are issued to hunters based on the quality and size of their wetlands they own or have permission to hunt.

“While some hunters may be issued only one tag, some may be given 150 or more,” said Perry. “And unlike hunting some of the other wildlife in Louisiana, alligator hunters are only allowed one harvest per tag.” In spite of the restrictions, some 30,000 to 33,000 alligators are harvested each year throughout the state.

Today, with proper permits and licensing, wetland owners can also harvest alligator eggs from their property. With 30 to 60 in a clutch, the egg harvest is a potentially lucrative opportunity for a landowner—and another incentive to maintain and enhance the region’s wetlands.

The Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge is located along the Louisiana Gulf Coast on land donated to the state by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1920, hence its name. Managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, the refuge encompasses 84,000 acres of wilderness. Commercial fishing is prohibited, but recreational fishing, shrimping and crabbing is allowed. While the center’s primary purpose is land stewardship, the center is a major wetland research facility for the state. It also has the distinction of having the highest nesting densities of anyplace in the United States.

“As land managers, we feel it is our responsibility to also understand the wetlands and its inhabitants,” said Ruth Elsey, M.D., a full-time researcher at the refuge, who is currently conducting her own studies on the alligator.

Collaborating with an endocrinologist at the San Diego Zoo, Elsey is studying the correlation between the size of an alligator and its sex hormone levels, and the nutritional requirements of the larger reptiles.

“The alligator is also important to the eco-system of the wetlands,” said Elsey. “As an example is the drought we’ve been experiencing. The female alligator’s den will be an important source of water for her hatchlings and other wetland inhabitants.”

There are only two species of alligator: the Chinese alligator and the American alligator. A more timid and smaller reptile than the American alligator, the Chinese alligator makes its home in the Yangtze River Basin of China. It rarely exceeds 8 foot lengths, and is not considered a threat to people.

The American alligator lives mainly in freshwater swamps, lakes, and bayous in the southeastern United States. While attacks against people are not frequent, they do occur in areas where humans have recently encroached on alligator habitat or where alligators have become accustomed to the presence of humans.

“The alligator may seem slow and ungainly, but he can jump with a burst of speed,” said Elsey, who shares the community’s healthy respect for the lounging lizard with the bite that’s worse than his bark.

“The alligator is not an endangered species, and it is perfectly legal to purchase alligator products, such as meat,” said Elsey. “In fact, it helps protect the alligator industry.”