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VIDEO: Scientists find 5-foot alligator inside Burmese python in Florida
The 18-foot python was caught in the Everglades National Park and was euthanized on site
November 14, 2022 6:52pm
Updated: November 14, 2022 6:52pm
Scientists in Florida found an intact 5-foot alligator inside the stomach of a Burmese python.
The 18-foot python was caught in the Everglades National Park and was euthanized on site, said Florida-based geoscientists Rosie Moore.
During a necropsy of the large snake, scientists found something they would have never imagined: a full alligator in its stomach after the python apparently swallowed it whole.
"I actually thought it was pretty gross too and I'm used to necropsies and things," Moore told CNN.
Moore posted a video of the moment scientists cut open the snake’s stomach and the amazing discovery on her Instagram. The video soon became viral, gaining almost 400,000 likes as of Monday.
"The alligator was fully intact," Moore said Friday. "Just slight decay on the outer dermal layer. The osteoderms (the bony deposits on the skin) were completely intact!"
However, it was not all pleasant, said Moore. The slight decomposition of the alligator created a very unpleasant smell.
"The smell was horrendous," said the 26-year-old geoscientist.
Scientists successfully removed the alligator from the python’s stomach and took samples to conduct scientific studies.
Burmese pythons are among the largest snakes in the world and are primarily found near the Everglades' ecosystem. Because they are considered to be an invasive species in Florida, people can remove and humanely kill them at any time.
"These snakes have successfully invaded ecologically sensitive areas such as Everglades National Park," Moore said in her post. "This poses a threat to a variety of wildlife, due to the pythons' wide dietary preferences."
