Sewer alligator

The sewer alligator is an urban legend about alligators that are said to live in sewers outside alligators' native range. Some cities in which sewer alligators have supposedly been found are New York City and Paris. Accounts of fully grown sewer alligators are unproven, but small alligators are sometimes rescued from sewers. Stories date back to the late 1920s and early 1930s.

The New York Times reports that the city rescues several alligators each year. Some are taken directly from homes where people keep them illegally. These small alligators can be bought online in other states and shipped legally when they are tiny. Other alligators are found outdoors, where they attract a lot of attention, though usually they are above ground.

Escaped or abandoned alligators may survive for a short time in New York’s sewers. However, they cannot live there long-term because the sewers are too cold and contain harmful bacteria from human waste. Sewer workers say there is no hidden population of alligators living underground.