Shocking video making the rounds online shows an entire alligator discovered inside a Burmese python in Florida.
Field workers in Florida’s Everglades National Park captured the 18-foot Burmese python. When the field workers discovered the invading reptile, they euthanized it on the spot.
The reptile was transported for necropsy, and scientists discovered a 5-foot alligator in its stomach.
Geoscientist Rosie Moore captured the finding on video, which shows experts examining the bulge in the python’s stomach before opening it up. The entire alligator is then seen being removed from its stomach by scientists.
In Florida, Burmese pythons have become an invasive species. They are Asian in origin, yet can thrive in Florida. Because snakes are so damaging to the ecosystem, scientists typically euthanize them when they are spotted.
The snakes were presumably released into the wild as exotic pets in the 1970s. They have been severely damaging to the natural ecosystem since then, feasting on Florida’s animals. This is more common in the form of smaller mammals and birds.
The Everglades also have a large population of Florida’s alligators. While it is not unheard of for pythons to feed on them, it is unusual.
“While reports of python-gator predation have been increasing, I would not classify it as a common occurrence. The Burmese python mostly hunts animals, birds, and other reptiles “Moore explained to Newsweek. “The effects on mammal populations in south Florida have received a lot of attention. Several studies have linked pythons to substantial losses in Everglades animal populations including as raccoons, opossums, and bobcats. The python had began to consume the gator, but the gator was mostly undamaged, with only the skin layer harmed.”
