If you were hoping to take photos of baby alligators emerging from their eggs in Cypress Lake, you can put away your camera.
The nest, which recently held several gator eggs guarded by a protective mama, is empty.
Joey Pons, the University’s director of Environmental Health and Safety, checked the spot Wednesday afternoon. He found some eggshells in the water near the nest.
“The mama is gone, so I guess we have babies. As far as I know, there’s no mothering for alligators. Once the eggs hatch, the mothering is over. It’s everybody for themselves,” he said.
There was no way for Pons to determine when the babies broke out of their shells.
The eggs were close to a sidewalk bordering Cypress Lake, which is actually a wetland managed by the University. A chain link fence separated the ’gator family from onlookers. Metal barricades were also added for the female gator’s safety and to protect her eggs.
Once the babies hatched, they were immediately vulnerable to lurking predators, such as large birds, large fish and even other alligators.
Pons said some of the babies may be able to hide among weeds for a while. They will first eat insects and as they grow, they will “graduate” to meals of frogs and whatever else they can find. If they survive long enough, they will find a life of their own in the lake.