Thursday, February 12, 2026
A partnership between the 国产亚洲福利精品 Texas and the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge explores how urban alligators survive cold snaps and human pressures in Dallas-Fort Worth.
DENTON (UNT), Texas 鈥� American Alligators are among the world鈥檚 oldest species, remaining virtually unchanged for millions of years. While they鈥檙e often associated with the Louisiana bayou and Florida swamps, a population of alligators lives here within the Dallas-Fort Worth area 鈥� and researchers want to know what makes them different.
鈥淭his population is on the western fringe of the American alligator鈥檚 range, and they鈥檙e within an urban area,鈥� said Dr. Jared Wood, manager at the . 鈥淏ut this group is persisting despite extreme environmental pressures such as freezing temperatures and proximity to human activity.鈥�
Wood鈥檚 wildlife research team at the refuge is small, which is why he鈥檚 turned to the to learn more about the population. He鈥檚 working with biological sciences assistant professor in the , graduate student Cristal Martinez-Alvizo, and the members of UNT鈥檚 Wildlife Society student chapter.
Graduate student Cristal Martinez-Alvizo will help assistant professor Andrew Gregory with studying the alligator genetic samples.
鈥淎lligators were first reported in Fort Worth in 1849,鈥� Gregory said. 鈥淏ut we still don鈥檛 know their exact numbers or what other populations they may be connected to which is what we want to figure out.鈥�
Gregory will help refine survey methods used at the refuge, including spotlight sweeps.
鈥淵ou use a spotlight to scan for alligator eyes because they reflect a reddish-orange color in the light,鈥� Gregory said. 鈥淵ou spot a set of eyes and count one alligator. Then you turn and see another set. After multiple passes, you have to ask whether you counted several animals or the same one multiple times. We鈥檒l teach statistical methods and designs that give greater confidence in the count.鈥�
The team will also survey alligator nests. Wood and student volunteers will document as many nests as possible and collect data on daily temperature profiles, egg numbers, incubation periods, and hatch rates.
鈥淭his helps us understand what characteristics these alligators look for when building nests,鈥� Gregory said. 鈥淗atch success also gives us insight into population growth.鈥�
Wood says the spotlight and nest surveys give members of the UNT Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society hands-on experience that prepares them for careers in wildlife conservation.
Jared Wood, manager at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, oversees the alligator surveys.
鈥淢any students lack the hands-on skills required to become a competent field biologist,鈥� Wood said. 鈥淭he job market is competitive, so any field experience they obtain through this project will be beneficial.鈥�
Martinez-Alvizo will assist with surveys and lead lab work once the eggs hatch. Teams will bring eggshells back to Gregory鈥檚 lab to study the genetic data of hatchlings and parent alligators. This will give them insight into the genetic diversity in the alligator population.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to work on this project, especially since alligators are usually portrayed in a negative light,鈥� Martinez-Alvizo said. 鈥淚t also shows that conservation work can happen in your own backyard.鈥�
Wood hopes the research will highlight how alligators in the DFW area differ from other wild populations.
鈥淎 lot of the current literature is based on alligator populations in states like Florida and Louisiana,鈥� Wood said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much we don鈥檛 know, so any data will be a valuable contribution to understanding the biology of this unusual population.鈥�
The project is funded by a grant from the . Wood says with the long-term goal is to have UNT鈥檚 Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society take the lead on the research.
鈥淭he project means so much to the public because we鈥檙e always being asked about the Refuge鈥檚 gators,鈥� Wood said. 鈥淓very student who works on this will help advance conservation initiatives pertaining to this species while building their skills to become professionals in their chosen field.鈥�
From 鈥� Research