10-foot gator finds its way to front door of Venice home

An unexpected guest crawled up to the front of a Venice home Tuesday.

With mating season in the air, a gator showed up at a home in the 500 block of Clubside Circle in Venice on Tuesday night, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Animal Services officers estimated the gator that found its way to the home’s front door was about 10 feet long, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office used the Facebook post to remind citizens to stay safe and that “not all reptiles show courtesy during mating season.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 6:27 PM with the headline "10-foot gator finds its way to front door of Venice home."