Alligator’s swollen body is not what it seems, experts in Florida discover

An alligator with what appeared to be a morbidly swollen stomach prompted an official investigation in Florida, and experts concluded it has nothing to do with something the beast ate ... or really bad gas.

Alligators are notorious for swallowing anything, prompting some to joke a tourist may have gone missing in the Celery Fields wilderness area of Sarasota County.

However, this is likely a case of gator-on-gator violence, Sarasota County Government officials said in an April 9 Facebook post.

“Recent concerns have been raised regarding an alligator that resides at the Celery Fields, prompting site managers to reach out to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s (FWC) Crocodilian Research Program,” the county reported.

“After FWC biologists reviewed the provided photos of the alligator, it has been determined that it has a spinal deformity, likely caused by a past predator attack or a congenital defect. ... The alligator is not suffering from bloat and remains fully capable of submerging and foraging.”

“Bloat” is a condition that results in swelling of “the colon, stomach, or GI tract” in alligators, and it can reach a point where they’re too puffed up to submerge for hunting, the county reported.

The deformity on the Celery Fields gator involves its back versus its underside, thus giving it a hunchback appearance, photos show.

The county’s post has gotten hundreds of reactions and comments on Facebook, including jokes and a lot of sympathy for the gator.

“And here I was thinking he just ate a whole tourist,” Heather Collier wrote.

Sarasota County is about a 70-mile drive south from Tampa.

This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 11:03 AM with the headline "Alligator’s swollen body is not what it seems, experts in Florida discover."