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Orange alligator spotted in Florida

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Orange alligator spotted in Florida

3News NZ

The orange alligator

The orange alligator

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 neighbourhood 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 scrutinised the photo and say the colour is not genetic.

"The official opinion from our alligator experts is that this is alligator is not naturally orange," says Gary Morse, Florida Fish and Wildlife official.

"We believe it's orange from paint, stain, iron oxide or some other element in the environment that has left a coating on the animal, making it appear orange."

Iron oxide is better known as rust.

A local university's football team colours are blue and orange, so it could just be a student prank.

3 News / AP

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Comments

11/01/2011 1:52:57 p.m.

TX Romad wrote:

If it's not a hoax, it might be an albino gator who's pigment was changed due to the amount of sun exposure they require.

11/01/2011 2:23:54 a.m.

FL Resident wrote:

I live in the area where they saw this alligator...the possibility of it being iron oxide is more likely than paint...that is a seriously big (and dangerous)gator who would be able to get that close to paint it? Only someone who was certified in trapping an alligator would dare t0 get that close and I would like to think they have a lot more respect for the animal than to paint it.

10/01/2011 12:59:19 p.m.

Baker wrote:

Of course it's not an orange alligator, it's covered in paint, you can see it's tail is a normal colour, dumb story