If you’ve been afraid to dangle your toes in Lake Lanier, lest something toothy grab them, relax: the lake’s alligator has been caught.

The 3-foot alligator that’s been cruising Lanier’s depths for more than a month crawled into a homeowner’s yard Thursday night, said Rick Lavender, a spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources. The homeowner called the state agency, which dispatched a biologist with an iron grip and an equally tough constitution.

The biologist “basically pinned it down,” Lavender said.

State officials surmise the alligator was released into Lanier illegally. The lake is not a native habitat for the creatures, which can exceed 8 feet in length.

The alligator, said Lavender, turned up at a home about 250 yards from the lake’s Flat Creek area. People had reported seeing the alligator around that region since late July, when the leathery swimmer first popped up in the lake.

The alligator’s traveling days are not done. The alligator is taking a road trip to DNR regional offices in Thomson, southeast of Atlanta. There, it will be released into waters more accommodating to Alligator mississippiensis.