An 18-Foot Burmese Python In Florida Swallowed An Alligator Whole & Scientists Cut It Out
The video is not for those with a weak stomach. 😳
The alligator in a Burmese python's stomach. Right: A Burmese python wrapped around a tree.
Burmese pythons slither around the Florida Everglades, and typically, they are caught and euthanized as they pose a threat to the ecosystem. In the stomach of one 18-foot snake that was captured and put down, scientists found an entire five-foot alligator swallowed whole!
A social media creator and wildlife biologist Rosie Moore (@rosiekmoore) published a video on November 3 of the professionals cutting open the reptile and pulling out the gator.
The video received 16.7 million views on Instagram and almost 40K on TikTok. It's not for those with a weak stomach. You can see the scientists sliding the crocodile out, still in one piece.
"In all my years of working with wildlife in South Florida, I have never seen anything like this. Predation events like this have been reported before though," Moore told Narcity.
@rosiekmoore 18ft Burmese Python that consumed a 5ft alligator in Florida 🤯
She wrote to us via email that this was the largest python she had ever laid eyes on, and it was shocking to see the alligator still fully intact.
The wildlife biologist confirmed the animals were both necropsied, which means they were examined after death for research, and data samples were also collected.
Since these animals pose such a threat to the environment, Florida has an organization through the South Florida Water Management District where people who actively seek out these animals and properly capture them can gain some cash. It's called the Python Elimination Program.
You have to apply to be a part of the program, and it is currently accepting new applicants in the area.
This article's right-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.