Number 5 Justin Perchalski Justin Perchalski and several companions were
on a night hunt in a swamp, in Florida’s Three Forks County.
The men were in a boat when an 11-foot alligator got hooked on their line.
Perchalski reached over the side of the boat to pull on the line and bring the massive
reptile out of the water.
That’s when it forcefully clamped down on his right arm.
Perchalski was only saved by his friends who’d held on to him as the alligator was trying
to pull him underwater.
Fortunately, the reptile decided to let go after turning its body with the man’s hand
still in its mouth.
Perchalski’s friends subsequently applied a tourniquet and called the emergency services.
The 30-year-old trophy hunter underwent surgery but the attack had left him without a radial
bone in his forearm.
Doctors were unsure as to whether or not he would regain full use of his limb on his long
road to recovery.
Our next listing is about an alligator that chased a teenage girl up a tree, but before
we get to that let’s learn more about these deadly reptiles.
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Alligators are large reptiles that belong to the Alligatoridae family and the Crocodilia
order.
Based on fossil evidence these creatures emerged roughly 37 million years ago.
American alligators can weigh over 900 pounds and grow to be more than 15 feet long.
They have strong, robust bodies, broad snouts and massive jaws that clamp down with great
force.
They possess 74 to 80 teeth that inflict lethal wounds on their prey which mainly consists
of fish, birds, amphibians and mammals.
Alligators have armored bodies which are covered in scales and bony plates called scutes or
osteoderms.
Their muscular tails propel them while swimming and they can reach short bursts of roughly
20 mph when travelling on land.
Even though they’re less aggressive than other crocodilian species, alligators are
still apex predators capable of killing humans.
Before we move on, answer this question.
What’s the main difference between crocodiles and alligators?
a.
Hunting style b.
Sensory Organs c.
Teeth d.
Snout Shape Let us know what you think in the comments
section below and stay tuned to find out the right answer.
Number 4 Jordan Broderick 15-year-old Jordan Broderick and her family
were visiting a creek in central Florida’s Ocala National Forest as a way of coping with
the intense summer heat.
It was early July, the end of alligator mating season in Florida and a time when they’re
more aggressive and territorial.
As Jordan was floating on a raft, she noticed that an alligator was heading straight towards
her.
The teenager reacted quickly and grabbed on to a tree branch that was hanging over the
water.
The alligator then hissed and waited at the bottom of the tree, only a few feet from her.
Jordan’s parents called 911.
The teenager held on for roughly half an hour before an officer arrived at the scene.
She was reportedly screaming and exhausted from hanging on.
A sheriff’s deputy fired a single shot from his AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, killing the
alligator instantly.
Although shaken up, Jordan survived her ordeal without sustaining any injuries.
Up next, a suspected burglar is killed by an alligator as he’s hiding from the police
but first let’s see where we can encounter these animals in the wild.
There are only two known alligator species, the Chinese alligator and the American alligator
with the latter being the largest.
The Chinese alligator is extremely endangered with only a few dozen remaining in the wild,
in the Yangtze River valley and its provinces.
The American alligator is found throughout various parts of the southeastern United States.
Florida and Louisiana own the largest alligator populations with over a million in each state.
Alligators typically inhabit freshwater environments such as swamps, ponds, marshes, rivers or
lakes.
They make alligator holes in the wetlands, which increase plant diversity and provide
a drought-time habitat for other animals.
In this sense, alligators perform an important role in their ecosystem.
Number 3 Matthew Riggins In November 2015, Matthew Riggins called his
girlfriend and told her that he was being chased by the police.
Riggins and an accomplice were suspected of robbing homes in the area.
The police launched a search involving a helicopter and K-9 units.
The authorities believe that Riggins had jumped a fence and tried to hide in the lake, at
which point he was killed by an 11-foot alligator.
10 days after he was reported missing, his body was found by police dive teams searching
the area.
As they were recovering his remains the officers were aggressively approached by the large
reptile.
The creature was later found and put down.
The contents of its stomach and Riggins’ injuries suggest that he’d drowned after
being attacked.
Now, let’s go over what makes these creatures such effective predators and later on we’ll
look at a tragic incident that ended the life of a 2-year-old boy.
Alligators don’t have a reputation of being aggressive towards humans and most of the
attacks that occur are instances of misidentification in or near cloudy water.
They’re ambush predators that will attack their prey on land or by pouncing from the
water’s edge.
These creatures are known to drag their prey in the deep, then drown and dismember it.
Alligators possess outstanding bite force, which has been measured at nearly 3,000 pounds
per square inch.
That’s enough to bite through a turtle’s shell or through the bone of a moderately-sized
mammal.
Even if you do survive, there’s still a high risk of infection.
Multiple microorganisms have been isolated from wounds following alligator attacks.
Interestingly enough, alligators are also among the first reptiles known for tool use.
They will balance branches and sticks on their heads in order to lure birds looking for nesting
material.
As soon as they’re within striking distance the alligator will viciously clamp down on
them.
Number 2 Lane Graves In August, 2016, the Graves family was vacationing
at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
They had decided to go to the beach after an outdoor movie had been cancelled due to
stormy weather.
2-year-old Lane Graves was building a sandcastle near the shore.
At one point he bent over to scoop wet sand into his plastic bucket.
His father, Matt, was nearby along with Lane’s mother and his 4-year-old sister.
Suddenly, the family heard a loud splash.
When Matt turned around he saw that an alligator had clamped down on Lane’s head.
He jumped in the water and tried to free his son by pulling on the alligators snout.
Unfortunately, the beast’s grip was too strong.
Seconds later the alligator dragged Lane underwater and they disappeared into the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Matt had sustained cuts to his hands, from the alligator’s teeth, and scratches on
his foot.
He received medical care and his family was distraught following the tragic attack.
16 hours later Lane’s body was found, intact, not far from where the alligator had grabbed
him.
A coroner report later revealed that he’d drowned after sustaining a traumatic injury
to his neck.
Coming up next we’ve got an alligator so big that many people thought it was an Internet
hoax, but first let’s see how you can survive attacks from these creatures.
So, what’s the main difference between alligators and crocodiles?
The right answer was d, snout shape.
An alligator has a wide, U-shaped snout while the snout of a crocodile is V-shaped and pointed.
Additionally, an alligator can close its mouth to hide its teeth but a crocodile’s toothy
grin is permanently exposed, due to its overlapping jaws.
Like many other crocodilians, alligators are strong and dangerous creatures which should
be given a wide berth.
If you do happen to encounter an alligator, run away from it as fast as you can.
Running in zig-zag is generally regarded as a myth so just go in a straight line.
In Florida, they usually mate in late May and early June.
That’s when territorial males and females guarding their nests tend to be more vicious
and aggressive.
If an alligator does bite you, the most common advice is to “fight like hell”.
Make noise, struggle, gouge its eyes and punch or kick it in the snout.
The alligator is much more likely to let go if you’re fighting back and it realizes
you’re not its typical prey.
Once you break free, go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
Surviving an attack doesn’t only imply stitching up the wounds but also dealing with any infection
you may have contracted.
Number 1 Hunchback In 2017, an American alligator was caught
on video as it slowly made its way across a path through a natural reserve in Florida.
Kim Joiner, the woman who posted the video to her social media, claimed it was roughly
12 feet long.
The massive creature bore a strong resemblance to a dinosaur which is why some users online
were quick to dismiss the video as a hoax.
Nevertheless, a number of wildlife experts pointed out that alligators are, indeed, capable
of attaining such proportions.
Dubbed “Hunchback” by the locals, the alligator in question was described as the
result of successful conservation efforts.
These creatures keep growing throughout their lives, which can last up to 80 years and maybe
even more.
In the past alligators like Hunchback would’ve likely been hunted before they could reach
such sizes.
Conservation efforts are thus enabling them to grow older and larger.
Thanks for watching!
Would you rather get attacked by an alligator or step on a Lego piece, every day, for the
rest of your life?
Let us know in the comments section below!