What the Chambers of Commerce don't want you to know-Florida is a dangerous place!!

Sadly I read of yet another alligator attack. One last week had an adult male dangling from his mouth, now just yesterday an alligator grabbed a toddler and swam off with the baby while the parents frantically  struggled to get him back. As of this writing they are still looking for the little boy.  So incredibly devastating, I can't imagine the horror that will live in those parents minds forever! The family was from the mid-west and I'm sure didn't know that in Florida we have alligators EVERYWHERE! They are literally in every body of fresh water, golf course ponds ( making that water hazard way more hazardous)and including at times uncaged swimming pools! Even sanitized Disney World isn't free of them.  They are numerous and a protected species.  Unfortunately we are not fully protected from "them". We who live here and are aware know not to go close to fresh water, to always be on the lookout. Even if it doesn't "look like" there is an alligator in the lake or pond, there most likely is.

They are opportunistic killers, mainly going after pray that doesn't look like it would put up much of a fight.  Although they can bring down an adult human or a full grown deer or horse fairly easily.  These creatures are living dinosaurs, eating machines with no thought of compassion beyond caring for their own babies.  The term crocodile tears comes from the crocodile's eyes watering while it eats its pray.  It's certainly not upset it's just a  reflex action.

My thoughts are with the family of that precious little boy, can't imagine their pain.

The rest of this blog is about other dangers in Florida that maybe many aren't aware of.

Be afraid of the water---be very afraid

Other water hazards. Besides the alligators and down at the most southern part of the state crocodiles, we have sting rays and sharks.  Florida is number one in the country for shark attacks, mostly on the north east Atlantic coast of Florida.  While the Gulf coast is littered with sting rays. These gentle creatures pack a punch in their tail stingers!  We know to do the "sting ray shuffle" to get in the water during sting ray season. Shuffling our feet along the sand to scare them away. Honestly I don't know when that season ends as they seem to be here all the time.  Steve Irwin the crocodile hunter died from a sting ray sting.  The pain from the sting is unbearable. My husband can tell you that first hand, he said it felt like a Gout attack!  I can imagine Steve wanting to take away that pain and pulled out the stinger, thus causing his death. Had he left the stinger in chances are very good that he would still be with us.  There is an elderly man (80+) who learned that last lesson that Steve taught us. He was also stung in the heart. He went immediately to the ER. They did an echo gram and saw the stinger working it's way through his heart with every heart beat!  They then performed open heart surgery and he made a full recovery!  It is best to go to the ER with one of those stings, lesson learned.

Florida now is over run with Lion Fish, a gorgeous exotic that escaped during one of our numerous hurricanes. Their deadly spikes keep them safe from predators all the while they happily decimate our native species! If you catch one while fishing please don't release it back! Kill it, filet it or call the Fish and Game commission!  http://www.myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish/events/  

As if alligators in fresh water weren't bad enough there can also be flesh eating bacteria.  
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/deadly-flesh-eating-bacteria-kills-two-florida-warm-water-beach-threat/48864465

Actually I leaned something I had no idea the other ways you could contract flesh eating bacteria, thought it was only in standing fresh water. You learn something new every day.

Things that sting...

In addition to the dangerous insect every one else has including the new Zika induced Mosquitoes
according to this map, Florida is one of the hardest hit.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/06/13/official-map-finds-zika-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-much-us.html

We also have 4 species of Scorpions, killer bees,  and fire ants.  Although Scorpions are not poisonous if you read my other blog," Attack of the Scorpion king" you would know that they hurt LIKE HELL!!  And yes we have killer bees a standing joke on old SNL shows with John Belushi being one of them with antennae that he could never seem to control. But they have been responsible for a few deaths in Florida so I thought I would mention it. And for spiders, the "itsy bitsy spider" from another blog, the venomous Fiddle back Brown recluse as well as the Black Widow. Now any spider can bite but a bite from either of these will send a person to the hospital. The Brown Recluse has the same "type" of venom as a Rattler as in it can deform and rot tissue.

Brown recluse bite damage

Things that slither...

If there is one thing Florida has lots of it's snakes.  Approximately 65 species of snakes ( hard to get an accurate count) and 6 of those being poisonous. Which include three species of rattlesnake: Canebrake, Pygmy and Eastern Diamond back, the LARGEST of all the poisonous snakes in Florida.  The others are the Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin , the Copper Head and the infamous Coral Snake a near relative of the King Cobra known as the only snake that can kill an elephant.  Florida is number 1 in snake bites, mainly from people who like snakes picking them up and not knowing what they are capable of. Example the evil girl villain in Superman II picking up the rattler as it was "so interesting".  An honest mistake sometimes as the deadly Coral snake resembles the very beneficial Scarlet king Snake. That's where the poem comes in " Red touch black, friend to Jack, black touch yellow kill a fellow.' Or an easier one, black head you're dead.  Who wants to remember a confusing rhyme?  The Coral snake has a black face which touches yellow. Case closed.

Close up of a Coral Snake. 

And now slithering their way up north to a back yard near you the Pythons.  They recently held a contest to kill them and the count was 150 dead which made the people very happy. Me not so much, when you consider ONE female can lay 100 eggs they killed approximately one and a half pythons! A tiny drop in the bucket to say the least.  Meanwhile pets are disappearing, and the adorable Key Deer along with them who is certainly no match for this gargantuan killer!  God help us if it is ever a child but I can say with honesty that day will come.

http://pythonchallenge.org/

There's a cloud up in the sky stormy weather...

As every one is aware we get more hurricanes than any other state. Well actually not true, Texas gets just as many yet they have no issues with getting insurance. Hum...  Anyway we get more than our share.  Something we natives live with and take for granted. If fact usually the weather men/women build it up so much that we get all brazen " bring it on weather bitch"!  Only to have it fizzle out and hit somewhere else.  But we still get way too many.

We are also number one in Lightning deaths!  The Tampa Bay area ( 6 counties) has more lightning deaths than any other place! It's the reason why our Hockey Team is called the Lightning.  We know to run and hide when one is coming and that if you can "hear it" you can be "struck by it".

But many I'm sure don't know we are number one in Tornadoes!  How can that be we are no where near the tornado alley.  Yup, we get more than anyone. The only difference is we only get F1 and F2s, and rarely an F3. Never, so far knock on wood, an F4 or F5.  Tornado alley gets the "hand of God " ones.  But as weather patterns become increasingly weirder maybe we will too. Never say never.

We're number one, we're number one-unfortunately 

Yup, Florida is number one in so many things! None of them good. Number one in: snake bites, dog bites, lightning deaths, child pool drownings,  skin cancer, pedestrian deaths, bike deaths, tornadoes,shark attacks etc.  Also number one for tourism, which is only good for the hospitality industry.  And brings millions of people here from everywhere around the globe to visit Mickey and his magic land, or to swim at our world class beaches. But tourist beware it can be a dangerous place, keep little ones close, use common sense and be aware of your surroundings at all times.