Alligator Pair, originally uploaded by QuakerVille.

These two gators were sunning themselves along the Anhinga Trail in the Everglades National Park in Florida today. They were so close to the walkway some people, including the kids were petting their tails as the leathery reptiles basked in the warm noon sun. I stood about 25 feet or so up the trail watching with the camera at the ready just in case one of the gators decided to swing around and have a tasty 6 year old for lunch.

Down the trail about 100 yards were 6 more gators in a pond where someone had thrown a coke can and a flip flop was floating like driftwood. I told the kids standing around that just yesterday some kid, “about your size” was playing with a gator like they had just teased and “that’s all that is left of him”!

Hopefully they got the idea.

Jon-Mark Davey Via Flickr: