- A cyclist captured stunning photos of a huge alligator devouring a python in the Florida Everglades
- Alison Joslyn said the 10-foot alligator appeared sluggish, possibly due to the cold or exhaustion from battling the snakes
- The python appeared to have lost the battle, although the snake may also have affected the alligator's mouth during the battle
An incredible video of a huge alligator devouring a python in Florida's Everglades was filmed by a passing cyclist earlier this week.
Alison Joslyn, an endurance athlete with a passion for nature photography, caught the shocking image while training on her bike.
“That's one less python to terrorize the Everglades.” she wrote after posting photos and video online after cycling through the Shark Valley area of Everglades National Park.
Joslyn described the encounter as “special and rare” and noted how much she appreciated the unique nature of the Everglades.
A cyclist captured stunning photos of a huge alligator devouring a python in the Florida Everglades
The 10-foot alligator appeared sluggish, possibly due to the cold or exhaustion from battling the snakes
It looked like the snake had wrapped itself around the alligator
The alligator seemed sluggish and Joslyn speculated that this may have been due to the area's recent cold temperatures or perhaps it was exhausted from battling the snake.
“Gator was quite lethargic and I wondered if it might be the cold. He got tired of fighting the snake, maybe got bitten by the snake, started swallowing the snake and had to stop because it was too big?' she wrote.
After what had clearly been an epic battle between the two creatures, the snake had lost and found itself partially inside the 10-foot alligator's mouth and wrapped around it.
Although pythons are not venomous, Joslyn wondered if the snake's bite might have damaged the soft tissue in the alligator's mouth as it fought to survive.
“I thought a bite might be a problem. I knew they weren't poisonous, but because the alligator had the snake's head in its mouth or down its throat, I wondered if the snake could have caused any damage to those soft tissues as it fought for its life,” Joslyn wrote.
The python appeared to have lost the battle, although the snake may also have affected the alligator's mouth during the battle
Joslyn captured the incredible sight while cycling through Everglades National Park
“That's one less python to terrorize the Everglades,” Joslyn wrote online
Pythons are an invasive species in Florida and are not native to the state. They have had a damaging impact on the Everglades' fragile ecosystem.
Although it is not venomous and poses no immediate physical threat to humans, it preys on native animals including 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 compete with native wildlife for food, causing the population to decline.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, animals must be “killed humanely on site” at the time of capture.