I guess I’m lucky I’m married since I’m obviously out of touch with the best ways to attract women. Unlike Dewayne Yarborough of Ford Heights, Illinois, I didn’t know that a 4-foot-long alligator is a "chick magnet."

His reason for keeping the reptile was that he claimed it attracted women (I kid you not).  While it may have attracted a few dates, it ended up costing Mr. Yarborough, as he was charged with possession of an illegal animal. Investigators found the alligator in a fish tank in the man’s kitchen. Apparently, he was keeping it in a small tank and feeding it minimally (aka starving it) to keep it from growing too big. (Apparently, the degree of attraction of women is not directly proportional to the size of the alligator.)

Besides being illegal in many jurisdictions, keeping alligators is rarely a good idea. They can grow very large and can be very aggressive. They need lots of space, a proper environment and a proper diet. Like all other reptiles, they are a potential source of Salmonella (and some other microorganisms), so keeping them in the kitchen is an even worse idea.

I wonder what other animal-associated dating trends I’ve missed over the past few years…