A video of an alligator in the Florida Everglades biting into an invasive Burmese python and then swimming off with the snake still in its mouth left one onlooker shaken, while also highlighting an ongoing struggle in the Sunshine State.
What happened?
Fox 13 Tampa Bay reported that on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, Shark Valley mobile volunteer Alison Joslyn was biking near the park's observation tower when movement in the water caught her attention. She then spotted an alligator with a Burmese python held in its mouth.
"I probably would have ridden right past it, but I saw movement, and it was the alligator throwing his head around as he tried to break off a piece of the snake that he could swallow," Joslyn said.
Joslyn's footage appears to show the gator biting at the limp snake before moving through the water with the python still locked in its jaws. She estimated the alligator was about eight to nine feet long, while the snake — "minus its head that was no longer there" — was around six to seven feet long.
Why does it matter?
Burmese pythons are among the Everglades' most notorious invasive species, and their presence is tied largely to human activity, including the exotic pet trade and the release or escape of captive snakes. Once established, the giant constrictors spread aggressively and have taken a major toll on native wildlife.
One alligator eating one invasive snake will not fix the region's python problem, but the sight does point to native wildlife adapting and pushing back.
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The state of Florida is also fighting back, encouraging people to hunt the invasive snakes during their annual Python Challenge, which awards cash prizes to the people who kill the most pythons over a nine-day period. This year's event takes place from July 10 to July 19.
Burmese python sightings can be reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Exotic Species Hotline at 888-483-4681.
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