Scientists find 5-foot alligator inside 18-foot Burmese python

(WSVN) – Rosie Moore, a geoscientist based in Florida, posted a video of a dead 18-foot Burmese python with a 5-foot alligator inside of it.

The video has since gone viral after she uploaded it on TikTok.

“I didn’t think it was gonna get a lot of attention like that, and it just kinda blew up,” said Moore.

Moore was part of a team of scientists who examined the python, which was caught in the wetlands. They later discovered the gator inside and fully intact.

“Prior to opening it, we collected data on the length, the weight, things like that,” said Moore. “After all that data is collected, we went ahead and opened up the python, and we discovered a 5-foot alligator in there.”

When the researchers came across the animal, they figured the reptile swallowed up something big.

“When you come across a python in the wild, typically you’re supposed to euthanize it on sight,” said Moore. “You actually can’t transport a live python. It’s not legal, so the field crews acted appropriately. They euthanized it on sight, and then they contacted a research lab to do a necropsy to find out what it ate.”

Moore said the video highlighted a huge problem caused by the invasive species in the Everglades.

“They have been credited with decimating our mammal population as well as our native birds,” she said. “They don’t really have any native predators, so they’ll just spread rapidly. They reproduce rapidly, and they’re really camouflaged, making them very hard to detect in the wild. It’s impossible to eradicate them.”

Although the state attempts to get rid of the snakes, they are still protected by anti-cruelty laws.

“A lot of people had no idea about the Burmese python invasion, and they had no idea why we might euthanize one,” said Moore. “They had no idea what a necropsy was. People were really confused about why we wanted to cut it open or what we would even get out of that. Learning how to explain that to the general public was a lot.”

While for some, the video might be too disturbing to watch, Moore said the footage has helped her inspire other women to get into the field of science.

“I’ve gotten so many messages from women around the world asking me how I got into science and how they can get into science as well,” she said. “It’s been really cool reaching that audience and getting to talk to other girls about how they can work with wildlife and work with technology.”

A new study found that the lower jawbones of snakes are not connected, allowing them to swallow animals as large as deers when they open wide.

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