Why are there so many Fossils in Florida?

When is the best time of year to Fossil Hunt?

Where can I find Fossils?

What equipment will I need to Fossil Hunt?

Will I see an alligator while I Fossil Hunt?

Can I keep ANYTHING I find?

Alligators are not like crocodiles (native to Africa, Asia, South America and Australia).  Crocodiles apparently consider humans their prey and many attacks are reported each year.  Fortunately, crocodiles are no longer native to Florida and are rarely seen.  Alligators (which we have a lot of) generally DO NOT prey on humans.  They will generally only attack if they feel threatened.  Keep your distance.  Given the chance, they will generally move away, in an attempt to avoid you.

The most dangerous type of alligator in Florida is one that has been fed by humans.  This will cause the alligator to lose it's natural fear of humans.  Any such alligator is promptly dealt with by authorities.  Such an animal will approach humans, expecting a hand-out.  If no hand-out is offered, a hand will do just fine.

Like I said, in the wild, alligators would rather avoid humans than attack them.  Even so, it's not a good idea to bring small children or pets near the water, which are closer to the size of typical alligator prey.  Not long ago, a woman was bitten on the leg, while trying to defend a pet, that she was walking near the water.  The gator was after the pet, not her.

If you fossil hunt as part of a group of people, you'll probably never see a gator.  They'll slip under the water and make a fast pace away from you.  They're an impressive sight, if you get the chance.  In fact, do yourself a favor and take time while you're in Florida to rent a canoe and drift down a river.  You'll not only see gators, but turtles, many species of birds (perhaps a bald eagle) and maybe even some mammals like river otters, deer, wild boar, and more.  Plus, the trees and plants can be breath-taking, especially when they're flowering or bearing fruit.

If you saw an alligator and crocodile next to each other, you could relatively easily tell them apart.  First, the crocodile may be larger, and that may also be why they consider humans prey.  Also, the crocodile may have a lighter color - alligators tend to be dark gray/green.  The tell-tale feature though, is their teeth.  An alligator has an "over-bite."  It's lower teeth fit into the roof of it's mouth and are not visible when the jaw is closed.  Only top teeth visible (mouth closed) = alligator.  Top and bottom teeth visible (mouth closed) = crocodile.  If it's coming toward you with an open mouth, then it doesn't really matter what it is, does it?