On the surface, modern alligators might not seem as impressive as the giants they once walked among. That doesn't mean these guys aren't any less dangerous. In Florida alone, seven to ten people fall prey to alligator attacks every year. About six percent of these attacks prove fatal.

That begs the question of what to do if a gator starts to think you look tasty. If you encounter a gator on dry land, the first step is to run. By the way, alligators are surprisingly fast but don’t have very much in the way of endurance. They’ll usually get tired and give up quickly. But what if one manages to catch you by surprise?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices