Alligators

Wednesday turned out to be a bizarre day for commuters on Fred Hartman Bridge as an alligator decided to use the highway shoulder to take a nap.

The reptiles hatched in Kansas last fall amid ongoing efforts to restore the rare species.

"Of all the places to be walking around barefoot he picked this one," someone commented on the viral video.

"I kept thinking I was going to die out there," one of the women involved said.

The alligator began to try and pull me back into the water. I was trying to pull back away from him, too. Because when an alligator has its grip on you, their next move is to try and do a death roll.

Louisiana is home to more alligators than any other state in the country.

"The individual was videoing the alligator and walked up to the water's edge while the gator was still fully immersed," said Department of Natural Resources Assistant Chief of Wildlife Sam Chappelear.

The woman was reported to have been about four feet from the edge of the pond before she was dragged into the water by the alligator.

And that wasn't the only wildlife drawn to her property by her night time feedings.

There are approximately 1.25 million alligators in the state of Florida,

For decades, scientists thought that the two holes in the roof of the dinosaur's skull aided jaw movement.

Although "meth-gators" is somewhat extreme, scientists do believe some drugs in the sewer system are affecting wildlife populations.

A man from Daytona Beach, Florida, caught illegally feeding an alligator in his neighborhood pond said the reptile let him pet it and described the wild animal as a "good friend."

After her encounter with the 11-foot-long reptile, Mary Wischhusen, a.k.a. the "gator lady," started receiving presents from strangers.

The convicted murderer was sentenced to an additional 20 years in prison for evidence tampering.

"If I fail this escape, I cannot think of the consequences."

The operation seized thousands of animals and identified around 1,400 people suspected of related criminal activity.

Shizuka Matsuki was out walking her two dogs when a 12-foot, 6-inch alligator attacked and killed her.

Large predators hunting in habitats where humans pushed them out are no longer anomalous, according to scientists.

"By taking simple precautionary measures when recreating near the water, people can reduce the chances of conflicts with alligators."

The tourists could face fines of $200 per carrot thrown.

In one photo, the alligator "seems to have the upper hand."

They're stuck like this until the ice melts.

Scientists identified feather-forming genes in birds and then activated the same ones in alligator embryos.

Alligators have learnt how to survive in some saltwater areas, chowing down on four different kinds of shark as predator turns on predator.

An estimated 1.3 million gators live in the Sunshine State.

Alligators are safe and sound during Irma, at least at one Florida wildlife reserve that thousands of reptiles call home.

At least one expert has cast doubt on the "miracle" story of a girl who freed herself from an attacking alligator this weekend by poking its nose and pushing apart its jaws.

While tragic, the snatching of a toddler at Disney World was one in just two dozen fatal alligator attacks in Florida in nearly seven decades.

The Orange County sheriff said law enforcement had recovered the body Wednesday afternoon.