TAMPA, Fla. -- Teeth, scales, and nails: it's 10 feet of alligator lurking in a Tampa Palms retention pond, and appearing as the star of this news story.

Homeowner Bryan Peabody was taking pictures behind his home when something caught his eye. Peabody saw a Florida bobcat sitting on the pond's edge, so he grabbed his camera.

"When all of a sudden this monster head of a gator pops out of the water and it took my breath away. I mean, I was standing here breathless," he said.

Bryan stood riveted and watched as the massive, 10-foot gator emerged from the pond and, with stealth, zeroed in on a cat. 

Moving closer, closer, and closer.

"Cause it was a lift and gracefully move toward the cat. And to see the cat just sit there like nothing's happening, I wanted to alarm it, like I said, but I couldn't believe that's how sneaky a huge gator can be."

The bobcat never noticed the gator, and sat there as the reptile crawled within inches of it.

"He got all the way up to the cat, and literally I think a breath from the gator is what alerted the cat, and the cat jumped and the gator lunged from the sand to the edge."

Bryan has three children, including 5-year-old Madison, who plays outside, but he remembers this is the reptile and bobcat's turf.

"It's a respect relationship. We respect the animals, and the animals respect us."

WTSP