A Snack for an Alligator

The recent cold weather in Florida has had a number of effects on exotic fauna. Pythons and iguanas (such as the one on the left) have been dropping from trees paralyzed by the cold and numerous tropical fish have died. As stated by a spokewoman for Everglades National Park,

“A lot of these invasive exotics come from southern climates, and they won’t be able to withstand a cold spell for this long,” said Linda Friar, a spokeswoman for Everglades National Park. “And as they die off, the native species, the alligators and birds, are happily consuming them.”

I'm presuming the alligators first warmed up before the consumption.

The invasive exotics are discussed in the NYTimes article before the quote,

"....Then there are the cold-blooded invasive visitors from warmer climes — iguanas and pythons. Both started out as pets before reproducing into the thousands once set free by reckless owners and hurricanes. Now, scientists hope, many will have been killed off by the cold...."

The quote from the spokeswoman is from here.