I've been all over here in South West Florida. From Fort Myers to Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres, I've seen some things. I've seen gators that were so big they could eat a small car, and I've seen people that were so small they could fit in a gator's mouth. But one thing you won't catch me doing is eating alligator meat.
let me tell you about a wild experience I had at the radio station the other day. One of our listeners brought in a whole bunch of gator meat and wanted us to try it on air. Now, I don't know about you, but the thought of eating alligator meat just gives me the heebie-jeebies.
So, I politely declined and said "no way". I mean, who knows where that gator has been or what it's been eating. Plus, have you seen the teeth on those things? No thank you. I'll stick to my trusty PB&J sandwich, thank you very much.
Now, I know... "But Bud, alligator meat is delicious! Why won't you try it?" Well, let me tell you why. I have a strict rule about not eating animals that can eat me. And let's be real here, guys. If a gator wanted to, it could gobble me up like a piece of popcorn chicken.
Alligator Meat:
I mean, think about it. Alligators are like the ultimate predators of the sunshine state. They have razor-sharp teeth, powerful jaws, and they're not afraid to use them. Plus, they can move faster than you can say "yeehaw". So, if I were to eat alligator meat, it would be like admitting defeat. It would be like saying "Hey gators, I'm not scared of you! In fact, I think you're delicious!"
But I'm not falling for that trick, no way. I know better than to mess with Mother Nature. She's got a way of balancing things out, and I don't want to be on her bad side. So, I'll stick to eating things like chicken and beef, thank you very much.
Plus, have you ever seen an alligator up close? They're not exactly the most attractive creatures in the world. They're covered in scales, they have beady little eyes, and they make this weird grunting noise that sounds like a pig being strangled. I don't know about you, but that's not exactly what I look for in a meal.
Everglades Gone Wild: 18 Foot Python Eats 5 Foot Alligator
It's bad enough all the pythons that are wrecking the ecosystem of the Everglades. Also, they're spreading out. During a hunt just 3 weeks ago a 14 foot python was captured in Naples.
Many of the snakes being captured seem to be getting larger. Case in point. This 18 foot python was captured with a fully intact 5 foot alligator inside of it. I image he was moving pretty slow after such a large meal and was easy to capture. By the looks of the video it seems that the alligator hasn't been digested at all. Geoscientist Rosie Moore described the video on her Instagram "This particular Python was roughly 18 ft, and had consumed a 5ft alligator. " She goes on to explain why the pythons are such a threat "Due to the the subtropical environment of South Florida, paired with the Burmese pythons long life span and rapid reproduction, these snakes have successfully invaded ecologically sensitive areas such as Everglades National Park. This poses a threat to a variety of wildlife, due to the pythons wide dietary preferences."
Obviously this python definitely does not belong in the Everglades. Kudos to those who captured and euthanized it. No other animal in the swamp stands a change against one of these monsters.
No one's completely certain how the python was introduced in the Everglades. And now it seems they're getting larger. And hungrier.
I don't know her, but Rosie Moore looks to be a total badass. Here's some more from her Instagram:
At home below the water as she is above it. Not sure exactly where this dive is, but it's gorgeous.
Even with it's mouth taped shut. you wouldn't find me on top of a gator like that. You really need to have no fear to do this job.
If you're in Florida, you know how bad the python problem is here. Rosie is doing her part to keep the invasion at bay.
Yes, Florida also has crocodiles. How can she look so calm holding this thing?
A beach shot. Just because.
Shout out to the STEM program. Thank you Rosie.
