Snake Swallows 6-Foot Alligator

The Associated Press...Channel 6... ^ | October 5, 2005 | The Associated Press

[george76]

Scientists in Florida are puzzling over a 13-foot Burmese python that scarfed down a 6-foot alligator before its stomach ruptured.

The snake apparently tried to swallow the gator whole -- and then exploded. Scientists stumbled upon the gory remains last week.

The species have battled with increasing frequency -- scientists have documented four encounters in the last three years...

"Encounters like that are almost never seen in the wild. ... And here we are, it's happened for the fourth time," Mazzotti said. In the other cases, the alligator won or the battle was an apparent draw.

"They were probably evenly matched in size," Mazzotti said of the latest battle. "If the python got a good grip on the alligator before the alligator got a good grip on him, he could win."

The incident has alerted biologists to new potential dangers from Burmese pythons in the Everglades.

"Clearly, if they can kill an alligator they can kill other species," ...

At least 150 have been captured in the last two years.

"People will buy these tiny little snakes and if you do everything right, they're six-feet tall in one year. They lose their appeal, or the owner becomes afraid of it. There's no zoo or attraction that will take it," so they release the snakes into the Everglades.

A reproducing snake can have as many as 100 hatchlings, which explains why the snake population has soared, Wasilewski said. The Burmese snake problem is just part of a larger issue of nonnative animal populations in South Florida, he said. So many iguanas have been discarded in the region that they are gobbling tropical flowers and causing problems for botanists, Wasilewski said.

A 10- or 20-foot python is also large enough to pose a risk to an unwary human, especially a small child...

[ken5050]

Sorry..my bad..I was referring to the pics of the snake eating the kangaroo.

[Chickensoup]

No spit, Sherlock.

My garter snake was a hungry snake but it never would do THAT!

[Brilliant]

He obviously did not listen to his mom when she told him to chew his food before swallowing.

[steveo]

and if you do everything right, they're six-feet tall in one year.

I've always thought of snakes being more horizontal than vertical. But then I never thought they could explode either.

[semaj]

A 10- or 20-foot python is also large enough to pose a risk to an unwary human, especially a small child...

$#!*! How about posing a threat to a fully grown adult?

[gubamyster]

My garter snake was a hungry snake but it never would do THAT!

Don't turn your back on him.

[spetznaz]

The above is a 20 foot long Burmese called 'Baby.' Obviously one can see why most people cannot keep large constrictors ....they tend to grow.

In most cases 'Baby' would have been released into the wild by its owner LONG before it grew to such a size. Usually it is as the article states ....when the snakes gets longer than a couple of feet people freak out, and because zoos already have more than enough Burmese pythons, they release them itno the wild (zoos have more than enough Burmese ....now, if you had a Reticulated or an African Rock they might be willing to accept them, but those 2 pythons are by far more aggressive than the Burmese, which is why virtually all pythons owned by most collectors are either the Burmese, which can get large but will usually not try to eat you; or the Ball python, which is nice and compact).

Anyways, someday someone will get a nasty surprise. It will be almost funny. Almost.

If people read how large constrictors kill their prey I think fewer would be rushing to get the larger constrictors. The cool factor would quickly become the respect factor.

[Chickensoup]

Don't turn your back on him.


Here, Sabooo. Here Sabooo. Nice snakey.

Darn, I was looking forward to snake ranching.

I was going to get them little saddles and train them to ride in circles.

[TXBubba]

Shouldn't the title read "Almost swallowed"? I would think exploding before you are finished meant that you didn't complete the act.

[Wristpin]

Time to ban these nonindigenous exotic pets. Can't these idiots be happy with a common rat snake? The Snakehead fish is wreaking havoc in lakes and rivers and is spreading.

[ken5050]

As the gator population is exploding in Florida, you'd thik that juvenile crocs woulds be a good food source for the mature snakes, and younger snakes would be eaten by the croc...In the Amazon basin...the anacodas live mainly on cayman and capibara...and we are starting to get a nutria problem in the south.. I think this one balances itself out..

[Chickensoup]

Shouldn't the title read "Almost swallowed"? I would think exploding before you are finished meant that you didn't complete the act.

Could have swallowed and popped!

[Conspiracy Guy]

Hat band nothing. A full legth snakeskin duster.

[TXBubba]

Perhaps. The "tried to swallow" is what threw me. Either way it doesn't sound like a good way to go. My other thought is that the alligator ate its way out.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Being crushed to death just doesn't have the appeal it once had.

[decimon]

Tie me kangaroo down, snake

Tie me kangaroo down

[Chickensoup]

Being crushed to death just doesn't have the appeal it once had.

Do you want to talk about your past....uhmmm...proclivities??

[savedbygrace]

It looks to me like the snake swallowed the alligator whole, head first, but the 'gator wasn't dead. So, the 'gator was thrashing around with its uber-powerful tail inside the snake. That's what helped to split the snake.

But I'm only looking at the one still, and know nothing other than that.

[Chickensoup]

I thought they squeezed them until they was dead.