The first thoughts to occupy my mind upon hearing the term "alligator" are prehistoric, powerful, and yet graceful in water and beautiful. They have been around longer than many different living creatures that live on earth. It has been said, and I believe, that they are the closest things to dinosaurs that are left on earth. Being born and raised for the most part in Louisiana, alligators were somewhat of a common sight for me growing up. They live in most bodies of water around Southern Louisiana and can appear off-putting to the average out of state tourist. In writing this paper, my goals are to inform people about alligators and explain how and where they live and "what makes them tick", and also to put an end to the myth about alligators being blood-thirsty creatures like so many make them out to be.
Contrary to popular belief, alligators are not ferocious beasts ready to pounce on any human being that crosses their paths. Alligators are extremely passive and tend to keep to themselves.
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