Gator found in Central Texas ditch: sheriff video

The reptile was found in a ditch near La Grange in Fayette County, according to the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A scaley visitor was spotted in Central Texas this week.

A gator was found in a ditch Monday near La Grange in Fayette County, according to the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. It was spotted on FM 2145 near Citzler Road.

"The rain has definitely washed in some things you don’t see every day in Fayette County!" the sheriff's office said on Facebook.

Texas Parks and Wildlife relocated the gator, the post said.

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, TPWD said. From mid-October to March, they brumate, similar to hibernation.

"Periods of extreme weather conditions such as drought or heavy rains can result in an increase in alligator movements," the department said.

There's been a few interesting Texas gator sightings in recent years. Last year, 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 after market hunting and loss of habitat increased.

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