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American Alligator Articles
Early explores in Florida regarded the American Alligators as a threat to life and property, and it is claimed that alligators were a constant threat to the Indians who kept guard against them night and day. William Bartram, an explorer, described an encounter with three larger alligators that attacked his boat while he was exploring on the St. John’s River in the early 1790s. R.L. Ditmars reported in 1953 that “from a wave of a extermination (by the mid 1900s) the alligator has retreated into more secluded swamps and bayous …(and now) evinces great timidity toward man …so great is the reptile’s fear of man that one can safely go bathing in waters inhabited by alligators”. There are, however, no scientific reports documenting alligator attacks before 1977 although the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission has collected newspaper clippings on attacks as far back as 1948.
Why do Alligators Attack Humans?
The alligator is a primitive and unpredictable predator, and any serious effort to answer the question of why alligators attack must contain much speculation. There is ample evidence that alligators are able and willing, under some circumstances, to utilize human victims for food. The facts surrounding every serious reported attack in Florida since 1973 suggest that, in every case were it was possible to ascertain, the victim was unaware of the alligator’s presence until last minute or, more usually, until the animal had actually attacked. In every case, the victim had been, at least partially, in the water with the alligator. It appears that in most serious attacks the victim was actually stalked, suggesting that the aggression was hunger motivated. Yet, when one considers the thousands of contacts between alligators and people that occur each day without incident, it would appear that such behavior is extremely rare.
How can you tell the difference between alligators and crocodiles?
People often get alligators and crocodiles mixed up__ and it can be hard to tell them apart. It’s easier when you see them together.They are the same shape, but alligators have broader, shorter snouts than most crocodiles. Their skin is darker, too, and looks black when wet.
In many ways, alligators and crocodiles are alike. Still, there are differences.
