How to fight off an alligator

photo by vbigler5

On July 10, 2012, a 17-year old boy was swimming in the Caloosahatchee River when an 11-foot alligator leapt up and took his right arm just underneath the elbow. Read the full story for more details. What a tragic event. Often, these things come out of the blue and there is no preparation, but here are some tips for you. Hopefully they help.




So what is important to know about alligators? Alligators are huge and vicious predators. They move with lightning speed and have incredibly powerful jaws that clench and tear and drive you mad. Our favorite source of wikipedia supports our findings that:

"Although alligators have a heavy body and a slow metabolism, they are capable of short bursts of speed, especially in very short lunges. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals that they can kill and eat with a single bite. Alligators may kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it into the water to drown. Alligators consume food that can not be eaten in one bite by allowing it to rot, or by biting and then spinning or convulsing wildly until bite-size chunks are torn off. This is referred to as a "death roll." 


So how can we defend ourselves?


1) "The only way you can guarantee survival is not get attacked in the first place." says wildlife presenter Chris Packham.

photo by mdempse1

so what if we forget the first step?

2) Get your fingers in its eyes. Read Mr. Sigai's miraculous story. That is how he survived.

3) Though less sensitive, nostrils and ears can also effectively be attacked.

4) Palatal valve is a flap of tissue behind the tongue that covers their throats when under water. That's pretty good.

Best of luck to all you alligator survivors! Remember, stay 15 feet away, or with the alligator you'll play.

Till next time.