Monday, May 19, 2008

Florida Alligator

The American Alligator (Alligator mississipiensis) is a common site around my home. We have ponds on our property
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that small gators like to move into then eat all the fish in them. My kids have been taught since a very young age to stay away from the canals and ponds and/or as they have grown, how to spot a pit-viper, gator or other dangerous wildlife.

I no longer concern myself with my kids running and playing free. They know and understand nature including plants like nettles, spiders like black widows, and the likes of gopher turtles to name a few of our common 'visitors'.

The kids also know how to approach a horse, a cow, a chicken, a parrot, a cat, a dog, and the list could go on forever it seems. You may wonder about the list, but how you approach an animal has a lot to do with how the animal responds to you. The proper approach gets positive results. An aggressive or startling approach may get you kicked or bit.

Living in Florida is like living in paradise.
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People just seem to picture 'paradise' without it's natural inhabitants. Being educated about those inhabitants makes it a wonderful place to call home.

2 comments:

jugglingpaynes said...

I love how you teach your kids to be respectful of nature! Someday you'll have to teach me how to spot that dangerous wildlife!

Out of curiosity, is that a treehouse where the ladder is, or an escape platform, just in case they come across some dangerous wildlife? :o)

Peace and Laughter!
Cristina

Paula Vince said...

From that photo, it still appears that living in Florida is like living in Paradise, in spite of those alligators. I don't think I'd like to get in the water. Most of our nasties live up around the northern coast of New South Wales & Queensland but we always have the odd redback spider and brown snake. Best to be wise regarding local wildlife.
Blessings,
Paula