DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One of the most common animals many people across Florida will see is an alligator, and for one man in Daytona Beach, an encounter with the reptile was not pleasant.
Scott Hollingsworth said that an alligator bit him on the leg Saturday evening after he opened the front door at his home.
At around 9:30 p.m., he initially heard noises coming from the area of the door at his home on Champions Drive, and as soon as he went to go open it, the alligator bit him, CBS News reports.
Daytona Beach police say Hollingsworth opened the front door because he thought the noise was of someone looking for his son.
"[I] went outside and didn't turn the light on and just got a step outside and something grabbed me on the leg, started shaking violently," Hollingsworth told CBS News. "My first thought was that it's a big dog.
"When I saw what it was, I stepped back in the house and closed the door. I looked down and I had a large gash in the side of my leg. I was trying to put pressure on it."
According to USA Today, the alligator was 7 feet, 10 inches long.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reportedly responded to the scene and euthanized the reptile.
Hollingsworth suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the incident and was transported to a hospital, USA Today reports.
For those who happen to come across an alligator, some safety tips that the FWC says can help keep people safe are to never feed an alligator, swim only in designed swimming areas during daylight hours because alligators are most active during dusk and dawn and keep pets on a leash away from the water's edge and never let them swim in fresh or brackish water — even for short periods.
Find more resources about living with alligators at MyFWC.com/Alligator.