Wherever I fish in Florida and many other southern waters, I'm always mindful of the potential hazards. From fire ants massing amid debris, to cottonmouth water moccasins slithering amid the vegetation and suspended in overhanging tree limbs, to alligators hiding just about anywhere, I don't let potential threats dissuade me from fishing; but I definitely maintain a high level of awareness.
Snakes: Usually hear/feel you coming, but smacking/poking high grass with your rod tip or a walking stick helps prevent unexpected meetings. Similarly, check those trees before walking/wading beneath branches to reach a sweet spot. And if you're keen on tiptoeing onto the trunk of a solid laydown to venture a cast into a submerged treetop, survey the deal carefully, lest you find yourself staring at hostile company while precariously perched in a vulnerable position.
Ants: Take particular caution during the rainy season when high water pushes insects farther up the shoreline and into temporary living arrangements. Suffice it to say that disturbing a pile of displaced ants won't meet with a cordial response.
Consider, also, that displaced fire ant colonies have been known to form living rafts by interlocking all those legs and literally floating to their next high ground refuge. I've never waded into one of these biting flotillas, but I can't imagine any upside to that deal.
Alligators: In truth, the small gators are more interested in catching my topwater frog, but dehooking one of these bandits can be a finger-risking exercise. Moreover, a larger gator might decide to help himself to my struggling catch and such close encounters can, at best, become perpetual YouTube fodder; and, at worst, an E.R. visit.
Example: Several of the roadside canals in South Florida and Venice, La. find windblown hyacinth mats jammed against the shoreline for an ideal punching scenario. I wouldn't hesitate to send a heavily weighted creature bait into what would almost certainly be bass laden waters.
However, should a big one get tangled in the junk, you WILL NOT see David reaching into said mat. I want to catch every one that bites, but if I lose one, I lose one - that's just God's will. I'd rather lose a bass to the mat than lose a hand one of those cranky swamp dragons.