Speakin' of Florida lizards, let's talk about gators or, as they're more commonly and less southernly called, alligators (from the spanish el lagarto which means "the lizard") . Yes, those big, scary, left-overs from the dinosaur age. In speaking with my Michigan friend, "Mumma", I've found she is both amused and bemused at our comfort with these creatures. We swim in lakes and ponds and rivers with gators lying up on the banks and beaches of said bodies of water. We also hunt and eat them. And in Florida.. we also have an attraction dedicated to them.