A Large Alligator Decided To Act As The Gatekeeper At Myakka River State Park

Sarasota, Florida - Michelle Riddle captured photos of the large alligator laying down in the middle of the road in Myakka River State Park on Friday morning.

The images showed the massive reptile relaxing in the middle of the street, keeping drivers and bicyclists from passing by.

Riddle said she arrived at the park around 8 a.m., only to find the gator not far from the main entrance.

Bystanders could be seen just feet away from the gator.

"I don't know if he was napping, but he didn't leave until the rangers showed up in a tractor," Riddle said. "I think the noise of the tractor annoyed him enough to head back into the greenery."

The park is known for being home to plenty of alligators.

Dozens of gators gather at the "Deep Hole" sinkhole, which is engulfed by Lower Myakka Lake during the rainy season. But when water levels are low, it acts like a fish trap -- which means the area is teeming with gators during the dry season.

"Hungry alligators will congregate here to feed, creating quite a magnificent wildlife spectacle," state environmental officials noted.

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the sinkhole is 295 feet wide and about 130 feet deep.

Access to the park's wilderness preserve is limited to 30 people per day. Those who wish to visit must register at the ranger station the day of their trip, with permits issued on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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Alligators 'Frozen' in North Carolina Swamp Exhibit Bizarre Survival Tactic

In a bizarre and instinctual survival tactic, alligators that normally lurk in a swamp in eastern North Carolina are now "frozen" beneath the murky water. Every inch of the reptiles’ bodies stay underwater — except for their snout.

Officials at The Swamp Park in Ocean Isle Beach took to Facebook this week with a video that shows the gators icebound in the swamp with only their snouts protruding and a toothy grin sealed in place.

“All our alligators in ice here,” George Howard, the manager at The Swamp Park, says in the video which had 12,000 views as of Thursday afternoon. “Eighteen American alligators are thinking ahead, as they poke their noses through the ice.”

The gators use the tactic to survive when the water around them reaches freezing temperatures in the frigid winter months.

To read more on this story, click here: Alligators 'Frozen' in North Carolina Swamp Exhibit Bizarre Survival Tactic

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10 Foot Alligator Spotted in Goose Creek South Carolina Still on the Loose

Two young kids in are captivated by their unusual new neighbor, a 10-foot alligator.

The alligator first took up residence in Sonya Gilreath's bushes Thursday morning.

"It didn't look very big to me," she said, adding that it seemed like it could have been a baby alligator.

Police responded, Gilreath said, and as the gator laid still, she and her 2-year-old and 3-year-old sat on the front porch "just watching it."

"All of a sudden, it stood up, and I realized how gigantic it was," she said. "I've never seen one this size before. Not loose."

That's when Gilreath took her excited kids inside and snapped the adorable photos from her kids' perspective.

"They thought it was really cool," she said.

The gator was 10 feet long, according to ABC affiliate WCIV, and taken by local police back into the water. The Department of Natural Resources was notified but did not intervene, WCIV said.

"There's a pond in front of our house and I watched the alligator escort himself into that pond," Gilreath said. "And the animal control and policemen left."

She said she called the Department of Natural Resources, which told her it wouldn't remove the gator from a residential area, instead calling it the homeowner association's responsibility.

"It's still in the pond and I really want it gone," Gilreath said, adding that the homeowner association is looking into the issue. "It is really scary having an animal that size... We probably have about 10 kids on the street that walk to the school bus."

Even though the gator is still on the loose, Gilreath's children are still talking about it today, she said, adding that they definitely seemed more excited than afraid.

"I was trying to keep them from being scared," she said. "I don't want to put fear in them where they're afraid to go outside."

The Goose Creek Police Department wrote on Facebook, "If you see an alligator in your neighborhood, don't approach or attempt to handle them on your own. Our animal control officers will respond and determine the best course of action in these situations."

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