Florida Alligator - "You Are Lunch"

Yes, there are alligators running around in South Florida. Adult male alligators are typically 11 to 14 feet in length and can weigh between 270 and 800 pounds. American Alligators have the strongest laboratory measured bite of any living animal, measured at up to 2125lbf (pounds of force). Alligator bites are serious injuries due to the reptile's sheer bite force and risk of infection. Even with medical treatment, an alligator bite may still result in a fatal infection. The alligator's tail is a formidable weapon that can easily take a person down and break their bones.

Since 1948, there have been more than 275 unprovoked attacks on humans in Florida, of which at least 17 resulted in death. In May 2006, alligators killed three Floridians in less than a week. One victim was a 28 year old woman who was jogging near Markham Park in Broward County. Both of her arms were found in the 9' 6" alligator's stomach. In 2007, a man fleeing police by jumping into a retention pond adjacent to the Miccosukee Resort and Convention Center was killed by a 9' 3" alligator. Photo Copyright 2006 Robert Giordano.

"I wasn't at the zoo. This alligator was out in the open. He definitely saw me, opened his mouth and hissed at me from 30 yards away. I used a 300mm lens for this shot then I backed away slowly."

- Robert Giordano

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