Alligator myths debunked: Running zigzag won't help you and gators can climb If you think you know alligators, think again.

Tim Walters | Florida Today

Show Caption Hide Caption 10 alligator facts worth learning Alligators are fascinating creatures. Here are 10 facts that you might not have known about the large reptiles.

Alligators live on average to about 50 or 70 years old

Contrary to popular belief, alligator mating season starts in the spring, not the summer

Alligators have amazing eyesight, as well as a third eyelid

An alligator attack that killed a woman last week in South Florida left many Sunshine State residents spooked.

But keep in mind, while an estimated 1.25 million alligators live in Florida, there have only been five reported alligator-related fatalities in the state since 2010. So are these toothy reptiles as scary as they seem to be?

To find out what is fact vs. fiction, we reached out to Gator Bill Robb, a retired trapper who still educates the public about alligators. He has worked with the animals for more than 30 years and was referred to FLORIDA TODAY by Layne Hamilton, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manager of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

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Here's a list of common alligator tales — and whether they're fact or fiction:

If you’re being chased by an alligator, run zigzag

Gator Bill: If you run back and forth aka zig-zagging, that will shorten the distance between you and the alligator. My advice: raise your hands, look as big as possible, back up, and once you’ve made yourself look large, if the alligator doesn’t retreat, get out as fast as you can in a straight line.

Conclusion: We rate this FICTION. Turn around and run as fast as you can.

Gators can outrun a horse for the first 40 yards

Gator Bill: It depends on the size of the alligator and the situation. An alligator is not usually going to run fast just for the fun of it. He’s got a purpose in mind and they are masters of discipline. The average gator is 7 feet. If an alligator is very large, he may not run faster than the intermediate-size alligator. Young bulls, just coming on the scene, are the most athletic. They are in the 7- to 8-foot range. The suggested scientific average for land speed is 19 mph. I don’t know how long they can keep it up. Forty yards is a long way. That’s 120 feet. An alligator wouldn’t run that far pursuing anybody. Matching him up with a horse for a race is a pretty unlikely comparison. But an alligator has enough speed to get the job done.

Conclusion: We rate this one FICTION. A horse can run up to 30 mph, so while the race might be interesting, the horse would probably win.

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Cocoa teen catches 12-foot-gator Cocoa High football player catches 12-foot gator. Video by Lamaur Stancil, FLORIDA TODAY

Floridians should be more scared of spiders, mosquitos and snakes than alligators

Gator Bill: I’ve been spider-bit a couple of times real good, and it can happen if you handle common things like brush in your yard. Snakes, same thing. They can be under a wood pile or brush. Situational awareness is everything. You need to be more cautious especially if hiking, fishing, visiting local wildlife refuges or birding. People have enough to worry about without fearing the natural world. Anybody who has these types of fears or concerns, there are many programs about snakes, gators, plants and insects. They should avail themselves of those.

Conclusion: We rate this one FACT given the amount of diseases passed on and illnesses caused each year by spiders, mosquitos and snakes.

Alligators have poor eyesight

Gator Bill: No, they have eyesight on par with an owl.

Conclusion: Simple answer, simple conclusion: FICTION.

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Alligators live longer than humans

Gator Bill: Alligators and crocodiles live an average of about 50 years to 70 years. Alligators do have health issues, and most are stress-related. Maybe if an alligator has a beautiful freshwater home, has a peninsula in a little pond, he has a girlfriend, plenty of fish and turtles, wading birds, occasional raccoons, he’s got everything a gator needs and wants. It’s paradise for a gator, he might be the one to break 100 years. One living in very polluted water that has other gators thrown in there, if he has that kind of stress and lack of food, he’s going to burn out by the time he’s 50. They say wild alligators might live to be 30-to-35. But if they live to 70 that is spectacular. That’s a good life for an alligator.

Conclusion: We rate this FICTION. Humans have an average lifespan of 79. The oldest-known living alligator in captivity was born in 1937 (age 81). Humans appear to have a longer life span.

Melbourne alligator crosses road during Hurricane Irma Melbourne alligator crosses road during Hurricane Irma. Video by Melbourne Fire Department employee Posted Sept. 10, 2017

Alligators are poor climbers

Gator Bill: They are not geckos, but they are a type of big lizard, but most of their climbing is done with the assistance of the tail. The tail is half the alligator’s length and 35 percent of its body mass. They generally try to go under fences, but in a mad scramble, when trying to get over something, they can get over a fence or wall.

Conclusion: Yikes, but we have to rate this one FICTION.

Alligators are their own worst enemies/predators

Gator Bill: As a hatchling or sub-adult, they’re food for every hungry animal out there. Once they become a good-size adult, it’s up to who’s sneakiest or fastest. Say an alligator nest has 35 or 40 eggs hatch, only a handful will live to be sub-adults, 4 feet or so, and sub-adults are still at risk of all other alligators until they are big enough to fend for themselves. Alligators kill more of each other than humans do.

Conclusion: We rate this FACT. That last statement says it all.

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It's alligator mating season in Florida. Florida's alligators are more active and territorial during mating season. GINNY BEAGAN/FLORIDA TODAY

Understanding what happened in South Florida

The alligator that killed Shizuki Matsuki in Davie last week was known to locals, and people had been warned about it in the past.

“He was kind of a park mascot,” Gator Bill said. “He would come to you at a high speed if you were at the edge of the water.”

The alligator measured 12 feet, 6 inches, and Gator Bill believes it was most likely going after Matsuki’s dog.

Many media outlets have also said that summer is alligator mating season, which could make male gators more aggressive, but Robb wanted to debunk that.

“I’ve read lately a lot of skewed information that alligator breeding is in summer. It’s not,” he said. “It’s spring, when they are waking up from their inactivity period. That’s when male testosterone is really pumping.”

Cocoa Police fish out a gator at high school parking lot Cocoa police Officer Xavier Baez fished out a small gator Oct. 12, 2017, at Cocoa High. Officer Wade narrates the action. Video courtesy of Cocoa Police Department.

He also wanted to warn people who might react in a way to try and save a pet that is being attacked by a gator.

“I got a dog, and he’s the best dog I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of dogs, but if Clay gets in trouble with a gator, it’s going to break my heart, but I’m not going to do anything stupid,” Gator Bill said. “I have people who love me, too. I can get another dog.”

For more information about Gator Bill, visit his Facebook page by searching for Gator Bill Robb. You can’t miss the long, white beard.

Also, to learn more on state laws about alligators, visit Florida Fish and Wildlife's website at myfwc.org.

Walters is a content coach at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Walters at 321-242-3681

or twalters@floridatoday.com.

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Ichabod the Alligator Amanda Sloterbeck with Brevard County Parks & Rec, raises baby alligators for educational purposes - and to help them survive. Video by Malcolm Denemark