alligator

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Burglary Suspect Hides in Lake, and a Gator Gets Him

Matthew Riggins picked the wrong hiding spot—an alligator-inhabited lake

(Newser) - A burglary suspect in Brevard County, Fla., said to be hiding from the cops drowned after an alligator apparently dragged him underwater in a Barefoot Bay lake, USA Today reports. Matthew Riggins, 22, had reportedly told his girlfriend on Nov. 13 that he'd be in the Barefoot Bay area...

Florida Woman Loses Arm in Gator Attack

She was attacked by 9-foot gator, since euthanized

(Newser) - A Florida alligator has paid the ultimate price after an attack that claimed a woman's arm in the Wekiva River on Saturday. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation says Spanish teacher Rachael Lilienthal, 37, was swimming away from a crowded beach area near Wekiva Island when a gator bit...

For an NYC Alligator, Fame Then Death

3-foot-creature found in the Inwood section of Manhattan yesterday

(Newser) - A mysterious story from its start to brief finish: a 3-foot-long alligator was found crossing Ninth Avenue at 205th Street in Manhattan Thursday. What happened next is what you'd expect these days: The Police Department's 34th Precinct tweeted about it, bestowing fame upon the creature—and showing a...

Remains of Man Who Scoffed at Gator Found Inside One

Meanwhile, the man who killed 11-foot gator could face fine

(Newser) - It may now be a little safer to scoff at the "No Swimming: Alligators" sign at Burkart's Marina in Orange, Texas: An 11-foot alligator was shot dead and dumped at the marina yesterday, and officials have confirmed that it's the same one that killed 28-year-old Tommie Woodward...

Swimmer Scoffs at Gators, Gets Killed by One

It's the first fatal attack in Texas in about 200 years

(Newser) - The sign said: "No Swimming: Alligator." The waitress said: "Please do not go swimming, there's a bigger alligator out here, just please stay out of the water." The swimmer said: "F--- the alligators." And that's how Texas recorded its first alligator death...

Alligator Taken From Backyard After 37 Years

'Jaxson' had been family pet of sorts in California since 1977

(Newser) - The Los Angeles Animal Services Department found an 8-foot male alligator in the backyard of a home in Van Nuys, Calif, and he wasn't exactly a recent arrival to the neighborhood. Named Jaxson, the reptile had lived there for 37 years. Jaxson was soon transported to the Los Angeles...

Biggest Gator Ever Caught Topped 1K Lbs., Broke Scale

Alabama hunters killed a massive 15-foot alligator over weekend

(Newser) - A group of Alabama hunters are celebrating the catch of a lifetime: A 15-foot-long alligator weighing more than 1,000 pounds. Al.com reports the monster gator was pulled from the water in south Alabama early Saturday during the state's alligator hunting season. Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries biologists...

Alligator Escapes Zoo With Help of ... Tortoise?

Zoo owner says tortoise may have enabled 12-inch alligator's escape

(Newser) - An owner of a zoo in Michigan's Upper Peninsula says a 12-inch alligator has escaped, possibly with some help from a tortoise. TV stations WWTV-WWUP and WPBN-WTOM and MLive.com report the alligator named Carlos got out of an enclosure over the weekend at the GarLyn Zoo near Naubinway....

Guy Tries to Trade Alligator for Beer

Needless to say, his plan doesn't work

(Newser) - So you need beer but you have no cash ... what do you do? Well, Florida wildlife officials say a man tried to trade a live alligator for beer at a Miami convenience store last Tuesday. A State Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman says the man received a citation for...

Crocodiles, Alligators Trick Prey With Sticks

New study finds they use twigs to lure in birds

(Newser) - For the first time, scientists have documented examples of reptiles using tools. Specifically, researchers found that some species of the order Crocodylia (which includes crocs and alligators) use sticks to trick their prey, CNN reports. They collect sticks on their snouts and position themselves in the water so the sticks...

Chicago Cops Hunt Woman Who Left Gator at O'Hare

She reportedly rode in with the critter on the L train

(Newser) - You see some strange things on public transportation, but this may be one of the strangest: A woman brought a 2-foot-long alligator on a Chicago "L" train earlier this month, the Chicago Tribune reports. Police found the gator underneath an escalator at Chicago's O'Hare airport, then traced...

Bizarre Find at Chicago Airport: Alligator

Critter was found under escalator

(Newser) - Maybe he missed his connection, but a stray alligator raised some eyebrows Friday at O'Hare International Airport, reports the Chicago Tribune . The footlong critter was discovered under an escalator in Terminal 3, and officials were able to trap it in a garbage can. The gator has since been turned...

Mississippi Sees 3rd Gator Record in a Week

Latest alligator caught weighs in at 741.5 pounds

(Newser) - Last week, Mississippi saw its state record for heaviest alligator broken—twice on the same day . And yesterday, a third hunter broke the record yet again. The gator caught by Dalco Turner weighed in at 741.5 pounds, breaking the previous record of 727 pounds, the Clarion-Ledger reports. The beast...

Brazilian Alligator Gets ... Acupuncture?

It's a practice becoming more and more common with animals

(Newser) - Bino's back was killing him. He was suffering from scoliosis. He couldn't move his legs, two of them anyway, and his tail just wouldn't swish. What's an albino alligator in that sort of health bind to do? Acupuncture, naturally. Bino lives at the Sao Paulo Aquarium,...

Alligator Catches Guy Who Eluded Police

Florida man is OK after attack, but behind bars

(Newser) - A Florida man probably had a brief moment of joy when he gave the slip to the sheriff's deputy chasing him. Then the alligator showed up. Police say Bryan Zuniga, 20, ran from his vehicle after a deputy pulled him over for weaving in traffic, reports the Tampa Bay ...

NY Amnesty Event Nets ... 3 Gators?

(Newser) - New York's Long Island, perhaps more noted for nails-on-chalkboard accents than rampant reptiles, held an amnesty event for illegal cold-blooded critters yesterday and some surprising "pets" crawled out of the woodwork: Namely, three alligators. “I’m done with alligators,” said one guy who turned in 4-year-old...

Florida Dad Pulls Son From Gator's Jaws

6-year-old suffers minor injuries as reptile thwarts canoe trip

(Newser) - Florida dad Joseph Welch may have set a new record for the worst ever start to a canoe trip: He was still at the concession stand paying for a canoe at a northern Everglades wildlife refuge when his 6-year-old son toppled into the water and was seized by an 8-foot...

RIP Mr. Teeth: Pot-Guarding Reptile Meets His End

He was a caiman, and a tribute to Tupac

(Newser) - Authorities in Northern California made an unusual discovery during a routine probation check: An alligator-like reptile named "Mr. Teeth," who was apparently protecting a stash of marijuana. When Alameda County Sheriff's deputies entered the Castro Valley home on Tuesday, they not only found 34 pounds of marijuana...

Retiree Wrestles Gator, Saves His Dog

Mild-mannered Florida man dove in, and won

(Newser) - In some crazy alternate universe called "Florida," a mild-mannered retiree dived into a pond and fought a 7-foot gator that was making off with his terrier—and the retiree won. Seems 66-year-old Steve Gustafson was trimming an oak tree at his home in a retirement community when he...

Gator Bites Off Man's Hand —and Man Gets Charged

Wallace Weatherholt was illegally feeding the creature

(Newser) - He's either a candidate for a Darwin award or the most pitiable man in Florida right now. Wallace Weatherholt's hand was bitten off by a 9-foot alligator on June 12 ... and on Friday the airboat captain got slapped with charges related to the incident. The 63-year-old was charged...

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