Gator Attack! Editor: Legerdemain 
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Gator Attack!
I moved to FL 4 years ago, and I live on the water. So I've learned a lot about the gators swimming on by.
Gators are crocodilian. Yeah, kind of confusing. You can tell the difference between crocodiles and alligators by head shape. The ones near me are alligators. And yes, they bite. I've done a little research on why.
One, they find and eat prey. Two, they bite when they associate something with food, like a person's arm. I've seen some funny things, like a baby gator chasing my orange bobber across the lake. When you look into why it does that, you find out that baby gators like to eat baby ducks. And my bobber looks like a tasty duckling.
Gators eat full-size ducks, too. And this is something to remember if you're out swimming in FL (I don't recommend getting in their dinner dish, thank you) and you see an alligator swimming toward you, all they see from their perspective (their eyes an inch or two above the surface) is YOUR head bobbing around. In other words, you look like a duck. If you can, stand up and walk slowly back to shore. Don't flail, because now you look like an injured duck.
Many "attacks" are actually accidental encounters with underwater alligators. They can lie on the bottom for six hours. When a person decides they don't see anything and hops in, chances are, you might bump into the animal sleeping on the bottom. A brush against or a disturbance in the water near them means they will grab.
Do not feed alligators, it's against the law here. I know, I know...it's cool to see them chomp on something. But let's remember that something could be someone's pet. Alligators grow fast in warm weather, so don't help them get bigger. In my neck of the woods, bigger means they get removed. And no, they don't go to some lovely alligator farm. They're exterminated.
So welcome to Florida  , and adventure on! Above the surface. 
This month's question: Do you feed wild animals?
Answer below  Editors love feedback!  |
WDC MAY SITE CONTEST:
The task is simple: Write a short story using the image prompt as inspiration!
Excerpt: To be an effective scoutmaster one must attend the training sessions offered by the Boy Scouts of America, go camping in the great outdoors, listen to what Mother Nature is telling us, and above all, try to stay a chapter ahead of the scouts!
Excerpt: When I think of an unusual pet, my former co-worker Craig comes to mind. He'd often regale me with the story of his caiman' s escape. The name sounded so exotic because it reminded me of The Cayman Islands.
| |  | GATERMEN (18+) Creatures half-man, half-alligator haunt the Yannan River in Glen Hartwell |
Excerpt: They were sitting on a blanket in their beloved Brisbane Lions Football Club colours, red, blue, and gold, on the banks of the Yannan River, eating a picnic lunch. Once heavily polluted, the Yannan had been drained and cleaned in 2023, and now in February 2024, it was only mildly polluted.
"It's still a bit pongy," said Shirlie (nee Haversham), sniffing at the river air. As she took a bite of her salad sandwich.
"Not like it used to be," said Julie: "I hear you could virtually walk on water to get to the other side once."
Excerpt: John shoved off and headed toward the swamp, admitting it was a little creepy and mysterious. He passed a rugged handmade bridge and wondered if anyone dared step onto it; portions of the boards were broken. The brackish water was dark but appeared clear; cypress trees grew everywhere, their bulbous claw like trunks partially out of the water. Spanish moss hung from the branches and brushed against him as he passed through.
Excerpt: The day started out with some carefree boating in the bayou and then an impulsive prank among a bunch of buddies. No one anticipated this.
Shaking his head to fling some of the water from his dripping long hair, Steve wondered, What am I supposed to do now? Aren’t they coming back?!
Excerpt: In 1986, the small City of Goose Creek was on the rise. The land clearing for progress drove the native wildlife into an unfamiliar civilized world. It was my position as Animal Control Officer to deal with all types of animals and related complaints and it was a position that I found exciting. At that time, I boasted to be the only female, or male, who would respond to reptile complaints in other jurisdictions. I also answered livestock calls from other departments. Dealing with farm animals is something else I enjoyed. All 97 pounds of me loved to handle any kind of animal.
| | | A Time to Be Free (E) An alligator with a special life gets to experience real freedom for the first time. |
Excerpt: The water is starting to feel too chilly, so I pull myself onto the banks of the little pond I call home, lazily moving up until the full beautiful length of my tail is at least a head from the water. At this point I flop into the soft ground and wait for the sun's warm rays to reach me. The blissful heat soaks through my thick green skin, caressing my muscles and lulling me to a gentle doze. |
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This month's question: Do you feed wild animals?
Answer below Editors love feedback!
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Action/Adventure: May 06, 2026 Issue [#13732]
