How big was the largest alligator ever captured?
A. — During a study done in Florida from 1977 to 1993, the largest male alligator reported was 14 feet long, and the largest female was 10 feet, 2 inches. An alligator that was killed and left in Louisiana marsh in the early 1900s was estimated to be over 19 feet long. However, the record has long been disputed, and the largest size verified for an alligator from anywhere, based on a statistical analysis of skulls, skins, and live animals, was slightly under 15 feet. Q. — We live in Florida alongside a canal and lake. Alligators in this waterway have no fear whatsoever of human presence and the gators seem attracted to children playing in the yard, coming within several feet of the children. They come right up to our deck and sit in the water watching ever so closely. If I walk down our boardwalk along the water, they follow. We have heard accounts of alligators coming into back yards, and several dogs have been taken by an 8-foot-plus gator. Can these gators be removed? A. — Every
