Florida is a state well-known for its alligators, which inhabit many of the state’s swamps and wetlands.
Despite their cute appearance, these animals are incredibly dangerous. While they rarely bite people, they may do so for food, as they’re opportunistic feeders.
Head scratching why an alligator could be considered cute.
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
DeleteGo to utoob and watch the guy who treats alligators like puppies. They're so cute when he scolds them and taps them on the snout.
DeleteThe heart wants what the heart wants.
DeleteCute??????
ReplyDeleteCompare with maxipad,shillary,willis....
DeleteAs a kid in South Florida living on the edge of the glades in the 60s and 70s we were aware of gators. However, back then there wasn't as many gators as well as a many people. We lived on a lake and occasionally would see gators of all sizes on people's back yards sunning themselves. Also, back then the flood control canals were connected to our lake as well as many others east of us. Other critters would be out an about in the canals and lakes, such as huge Tarpons falling schools of mullets, and our favorites Manatees! We would swim with them, and they would come up from the bottom and roll us of their backs! Good times I will never forget!
ReplyDeleteI think now that the Gators have repopulated Florida, and the massive amounts of People moving into Florida is one factor, but I believe that the Invasive species of critters (HUGE Snakes and Lizards) has decimated they normal food Gators live on. A family member has a Camp in Everglades and at 83 years old he has been in the Glades since he 15! There are no Raccoons, Deer, Birds and even fish near his Little Camp. Its nothing like when were younger, Huge amounts of spoonbills that would almost block the sun......Cypress heads, so quiet you would think you were in another world! Witch it was!
I was right there with you - 50s and 60s
DeleteAround here we eat much more of them than they do of us.....
ReplyDeleteJD
Gators have been seen as far north as Tennessee. Their range is expanding.
DeleteThey are hardy creatures. We have about 3 million or so here in La, the vast majority are wild, it's unusual to not see at least 1 while fishing in the bayous and lakes, but gator farms are plentiful around here as well
DeleteJD....
I hope they go up the Mississippi all the way to the headwaters at Itasca State Park.
DeleteSure would be fun to have something in the water that can possibly kill you and not just wolves and mountain lions and bears and rabid smaller critters on land.
We can't even get those cool fish that knock people out of boats or wild boar yet.
Steel
DeleteThey are reptiles and cold blooded so I don't think they would do well up in a really cold to froze environment.. Around here if it gets below 40 we are freezing out asses off
JD
When I'm in Florida I just assume every body of water has gators and act accordingly. Last time I was down there a gator showed up on the beach.
ReplyDeletemost folks don't know this, but gators have the ability to raise straight up on all four legs and can outrun a dog for short spurts (30-40 yds). we'd lose a calf or two a year back in E Texas when i was ranching
ReplyDeleteHad a conversation with a 70ish black man who's lived on our SC Sea Island his whole life a year ago. He noted that the building boom eliminated numerous freshwater lagoons, so no more gators or water moccasins that were plentiful until the mid-1970s.
ReplyDeleteI was swimming beside Sharon Holmes when the gator grabbed her. It was late in the afternoon and we were in a group of about 12 kids swimming to a platform anchored in the lake about 50 yards from shore. It was just "the luck of the draw" that she was the one it grabbed, as she and I were in the middle of the group. There was no warning, no struggle, and she didn't cry out. She just suddenly disappeared, pulled under the water in an instant. As you can imagine there was panic and bedlam for a while until everyone was back on shore and accounted for. The gator later hauled her body out onto the bank and a deputy shot it.
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