Alligator caught eating 'invasive' python at Everglades National Park in Florida

Alison Joslyn caught an alligator eating a large Burmese python, a snake not native to Florida, in the Shark Valley portion of the park on Dec. 20 while riding her bike and shared the footage on social media. She captured the moment an alligator was devouring a sizable Burmese python, a non-native snake in Florida.

While cycling, Alison Joslyn encountered the incident and shared the video on her social media.

"I knew immediately I was seeing something very special," she told a local news outlet.

"I thought both might be dead until the gator opened an eye to look at me! Phew! Score one for the home team," she added.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) classifies Burmese pythons as invasive because of their detrimental impact on native wildlife, as stated on its website.

The Burmese python is recognized as one of the largest snake species globally and is commonly located in or near water. Adult Burmese pythons captured in Florida typically range from 6 to 9 feet in length, although the largest recorded specimen measured 18 feet, according to FWC.

In Florida, Burmese pythons have been observed preying on a diverse range of animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles and even alligators," as per the FWC. The agency notes that the species can be captured and "humanely killed year-round without a permit or hunting license on 32 Commission-managed lands in south Florida.

According to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's website, Everglades National Park is "the only place in the world where Alligators coexist with Crocodiles." It is also the only location in the U.S. where people can observe crocodiles, thanks to the combination of freshwater from Lake Okeechobee and saltwater from the ocean.

The National Park Service reports an average visitation of 1 million visitors to the park. Everglades National Park is inhabited by 13 endangered species and 10 threatened species.