And In Today’s Alligator News

Webster City, Iowa has alligators rampaging through the streets. No, really, they do.

WEBSTER CITY — It was a scene straight out of a comic book Monday night in Webster City — an alligator was running free in the street.

The alligator, only 1 foot long, did not pose a threat to the citizens, but it did draw a crowd. According to Webster City Police Chief Mike McConnell, the alligator is a pet of Chris Louk, 25, of Webster City.

Louk was issued a citation for animal at large and will have a court appearance on Sept. 11.

McConnell said that he believes Louk has taken steps to ensure that the alligator will not get loose again.

A report of an alligator running loose was the second one within a couple of months. Due to the rare occurrence of the incident, Webster City officials were not aware of a new Iowa law regarding exotic animals and it wasn’t until the recent sighting of the alligator that they took appropriate action.

Rare? It's the second one in a couple of months. That's approaching 'frequent'. Meanwhile, in Fort Meyers, Florida, their alligator is slightly less sprightly. In fact, it's dead.

Passersby this morning are reporting a dead alligator lying in a turn lane on Daniels Parkway near Palomino Lane.

Reports of the dead reptile started coming in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office around 6:30 a.m., officials said.

We should point out that alligators sometimes play possum (although they are rather bad at it, since they lack fur. They seldom fool anyone). We'd be very, very careful. And completing today's reptile trifecta, Orlando, Florida has a different dead alligator mystery. Someone stole the frozen alligator head.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Someone who burglarized an old auto repair shop got a big surprise - a frozen alligator head stuffed in a garbage bag.

The Prange family, which has owned a brake and alignment shop for 87 years, was storing the head for a friend who planned to mount it.

"We hope he jumps when he opens the garbage bag," said Steve Prange, 55.

We probably would. We are assuming that this alligator is not playing possum.