- A cyclist has captured stunning images of a giant alligator devouring a python in the Florida Everglades
- Alison Joslyn said the 10-foot alligator appeared lethargic, possibly due to cold or exhaustion from fighting the snake
- The python appeared to have lost the fight, although the snake may also have attacked the alligator's mouth during the fight
Incredible video of a giant alligator devouring a python in Florida's Everglades was filmed by a passing cyclist earlier this week.
Alison Joslyn, an endurance athlete and a passion for wildlife photography, witnessed the shocking sight while she was cycling and training.
“It’s one less python terrorizing the Everglades,” she wrote after posting pictures and videos online following a bike ride through the Shark Valley area of Everglades National Park.
Joslyn described the encounter as “special and rare” and emphasized how much she appreciated the unique nature of the Everglades.
A cyclist has captured stunning images of a giant alligator devouring a python in the Florida Everglades
The 10-foot alligator appeared lethargic, possibly due to cold or exhaustion from fighting the snake
The snake appeared to be coiled around the alligator
The alligator appeared to be lethargic, and Joslyn suspected that this might be due to the recent cool temperatures in the area or that it was exhausted from fighting the snake.
“Gator was pretty lethargic and I wondered if it was maybe the cold. “He was tired of fighting the snake, maybe he was bitten by the snake, he started swallowing the snake and had to stop because it was too big?” she wrote.
After what appeared to be an epic battle between the two creatures, the snake had lost and was partially in the 10-foot alligator's mouth, wrapping itself around him.
Although pythons are not venomous, Joslyn wondered whether the snake's bite might have damaged the soft tissue in the alligator's mouth as it struggled to survive.
“I thought a bite might be a problem, I was aware they weren't venomous, but since the alligator had the snake's head in its mouth or throat, I wondered if the snake could have caused damage to those soft tissues .” as it fought for its life,” Joslyn wrote.
The python appeared to have lost the fight, although the snake may also have attacked the alligator's mouth during the fight
Joslyn captured the incredible sight while cycling through Everglades National Park
“That’s one less python terrorizing the Everglades,” Joslyn wrote online
Pythons are an invasive species in Florida and are not native to the state. They had detrimental effects on the delicate Everglades ecosystem.
Although it is not poisonous and poses no immediate physical threat to humans, it preys on native animals such as raccoons and opossums.
Mammals whose populations have declined most significantly are regularly found in the stomachs of pythons removed from Everglades National Park and elsewhere.
The snakes have established a breeding population in South Florida and are competing with local wildlife for food, leading to population declines.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the animals must be “humanely killed on site” at the time of capture.
Stunning moment giant alligator devours python after epic reptilian rumble in Florida's Everglades