Florida wildlife experts say mysterious orange alligator must be dyed

[Kadie]

Florida wildlife experts say mysterious orange alligator must be dyed
January 7, 2011 | 12:32 pm


This Jan. 5, 2011 photo provided by Sylvia Mythen shows an alligator with an orange appearance in Venice, Fla. Wildlife officials said Thursday the gator is not naturally orange. Experts with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have scrutinized the photo and determined the color is not genetic. They believe the gator was somehow covered in paint or an orange substance. ( AP Photo/Sylvia Mythen) NO SALES

VENICE, Fla. — An orange alligator photographed in South Florida is raising questions about its bizarre pigment.

Sylvia Mythen snapped the photo of the gator sunning beside a neighborhood canal in Venice.

The picture ran on TV after she shot it Wednesday and caused a buzz.

Experts with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have scrutinized the photo and say the color is not genetic. They believe the gator was somehow covered in paint or an orange substance.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2011/01/orange-alligator-florida.html

[Parche]

1. orange you glad he is in florida and not where you live???

:woohoo::hi:

[malaise]

2. The Weeper of the House's relative?

:evilgrin:

[boston bean]

3. queue

the boner jokes.....

[liberal N proud]

9. :

:rofl:

[Kennah]

4. If I hold the gator's tail, you'll do what, John?

[bluesbassman]

5. Make some cool boots though.

:evilgrin:

[Fla_Democrat]

6. Can ya say.....

Georgia "red" clay?

:smoke:

[csziggy]

14. That was my first thought - it is exactly that color

We're a few miles south of the Georgia border, in the part of Florida known as the Red Hills because of the red clay. The ridge our farm is on is entirely composed of clay the color of that gator. If I saw one here that color, I would be sure it just got stuck in a pool lined with that red clay. They do use it to line holding ponds and such since it is a good natural water barrier, not completely water proof but very water resistant.

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Nah. He just hangs out at

the same salon Boner frequents.

Gator probly has a drinking problem too. And is no doubt subject to alligator tears.

[JVS]

8. Clone him!

[PoliticAverse]

10. They call it "safety orange" for a reason... n/t

[Sancho]

11. Hey, everything here is turning orange....

since we've all been sprayed with Agent Orange Dispersant! All the fish and birds will either die or turn orange.

[Travis_0004]

12. What are the odds of a naturally orange gator making it to adulthood

One of the reasons that albino animals are not seen in the wild (besides them being rare) is because they can not survive when young. Their lack of a camouflage makes them easier to be seen by predators and prey, and they get killed or starve. I imagine that if one was naturally born like that, it would not survive.

[Poboy]

13. If they find a blue one around as well, the jig is up.

[marmar]

15. He was recently sworn in as Gator of the House.

nt

[Quantess]

16. Look, it's John Boehner!

[Codeine]

17. Jersey Shore Gators. nt

[Davis_X_Machina]

18. There's a green one out there somewhere...

...and a University of Miami frat at the bottom of it all.