Community Corner
10-Foot Alligator Spotted Munching On Big Fish In Florida
Robin Austin was visiting Myakka River State Park in Sarasota when she stumbled upon a 10-foot alligator in the middle of lunch.
SARASOTA, FL — A woman enjoying a stroll through Myakka River State Park in Sarasota recently got quite the surprise when she stumbled upon a massive gator in the middle of lunch, chomping down on a rather large fish.
“I was born and raised in Everglades City, FL, but this is the first time I’ve witnessed a gator with a very large snook,” Robin Austin of Venice told WFLA-TV. “To see that large a snook at Myakka State Park surprised me as well.”
Of course, what do you do when you stumble upon something you don't see every day? You snap a picture— which is exactly what Austin did. She then posted the stunning photos to her Facebook page Sunday.
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She estimates that the gator was at least 10 feet long and the snook around 3 feet long.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, female alligators rarely exceed 10 feet in length but males can grow much larger.
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The Florida state record for length is a 14 foot 3-1/2 inch male from Lake Washington in Brevard County. The Florida record for weight is a 1,043 pound (13 feet 10-1/2 inches long) male from Orange Lake in Alachua County.
In Florida waters, snooks may grow to 48 inches and 38 pounds, the commission said.
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