Monster Quest and NYC Alligators

[kidflash2008]

Monster Quest did a show about the possibility of alligators living in the sewers of New York City. Everyone has heard the urban legends, and it appears they have found gators in Manhattan. Three teenage boys were working by a sewer when they pulled up a gator (and killed it) in the 1930s according to a newspaper report from the day.

The show was actually informative as I found out it is quite possible for alligators to not only live but thrive in the sewers. The sewer system has thousands of miles of pipes, and is quite hot and humid thanks to all the water sources and excess steam release from the utilities. Gators will also eat insects (I did not know that!) including cockroaches. There are plenty of rats and other vermin in the sewer system. Also, wild dogs, feral cats and the occasional homeless person would make a fine meal. The gators would also be scavengers and can eat just about anything.
The gators do not need sun like most other reptiles, and they have a resilience to diseases. In fact, gators grow faster with no sunlight. There is enough material in the sewers for them to make nests to lay eggs in.

Although the show did not find an alligator, it did prove they could easily live there. They did show a salamander in the last shot in the pipes, which would need the same types of conditions as a gator.

This could also mean that any big city with a sprawling sewer and drainage system could be a suitable home to gators and crocs. London, Chicago and others.