How literal?
Did they mean "keep as far away from somebody as (the length of) an alligator" or "keep as far away from somebody as you would an alligator", a.k.a. stay the hell far away!
Did they mean "keep as far away from somebody as (the length of) an alligator" or "keep as far away from somebody as you would an alligator", a.k.a. stay the hell far away!