Most people are misinformed when it comes to the Florida alligator. Alligators just like any other animal or human being want a safe and secure area of living. These creatures want to be able to live out of harm’s way. One area that seems to be protective of these intelligent reptiles is known as The Florida Everglades. The Florida Everglades is the third-largest national park out of the 48 states. It is also the first national park created to protect the fragile ecosystem. Without the protection of the alliga-tors and thus the ecosystem area we know as the everglades could eventually become nonexist-ent. At one time “this wetland was called the river of grass by an author back in 1947” (Strawn 17). The Seminoles called it “Payhaio-kee” which means “grassy water” and later the white people began to call it the “Ever Glade” (Strawn 17). This area is considered …show more content…
It is considered to be “the closest thing to a living dinosaur” (Visiting the Heart of Alligator Country). People ask why or how an alligator could be compared to such a large extinct reptile. Well here is how. An adult alligator can “exert more than 1000 pounds per square inch of force” when biting or holding on to something. Once an alligator “closes it jaw on a limb the force is so great that getting the alligator to open its mouth again is virtually impossible “ (Strawn 43 ). The adult reptile “has small legs and webbed feet that are designed for “propulsion and maneuvering but not for attack” (Visiting the Heart of Alligator Country) However the “swipe of a gators tail can knock a person into the water when it is most agile, powerful and destructful” (Strawn 43). Not to men-tion an alligators tail is what gives it it’s speed of up to approximately 20 miles per hour in water but then becomes a slower awkward giant on land. This sounds to be very similar to that of some of the dinosaurs from many years