I don't even think that the reptiles know that they are guarding something at all! Lol! Of course no decent person in his right mind would dare to steal anything if there is an alligator around. I do not think anybody would risk being "snapped at" with those sharp teeth! I wonder why the alligator died. Poor thing. He might have been handled poorly by the animal control people. I think reptiles shouldn't be used to guard things at all but let's face it, they can be really effective. Nobody would dare to risk dealing with a dangerous reptile even if most reptiles are far smaller than people. A snakes tank would be a good place to hide small valuables but would you even risk putting your hand into the tank?