A remarkable alligator at Gatorland in Florida has captivated the attention of social media users due to its unique appearance: it is missing its entire upper jaw.
This unusual condition has left many people puzzled and curious about how the animal manages to survive.
The team at Gatorland has given the alligator the fitting name of 'Jawlene,' inspired by the iconic singer Dolly Parton.
The park staff gave the name "Jawlene" to this alligator. Jawlene is a very strong and tough animal. She is an amazing example of how animals can adapt and survive, even when they face many challenges.
Jawlene was spotted when she was in a severely injured state. It is believed that she lost her upper jaw either due to an accident or an attack by another predator.
Alligators are known for their formidable jaws, which they use to great effect when hunting and feeding.
These predators rely heavily on their immensely powerful bite to capture prey, seizing it with their jaws and then dragging it underwater to dismember and consume.
So when an alligator is missing its entire upper jaw, it presents a significant challenge to its ability to hunt and eat.
Despite the severity of her injury, the alligator has adapted remarkably well to her condition.
Gatorland is a wildlife preserve near Orlando, Florida that cares for alligators that have been rescued, whether from being kept as pets or or after being injured.
In the case of this particular alligator, it has lost its entire upper jaw, leaving its moth completely exposed.
According to Kim Titterington, a wildlife rehabilitator, the alligator's physical condition suggests it has managed to adapt since losing its entire upper jaw.
Titterington noted that the alligator appeared to be of healthy body weight, and the injury had fully healed over, indicating it had survived for some time without its snout.
Titterington speculated that the clean, surgical-like nature of the injury points to the alligator likely having been caught in a hunting snare, rather than suffering the damage through a fight with another alligator.
Florida alligator survives despite missing half of upper jaw, baffling online users about how it alive
This has prompted many to wonder: 'How does it manage to eat?'
Savannah Boan, a caretaker at Gatorland, explained that they feed the alligator by placing food on its tongue. She then uses her lower jaw to push the food up.
Boan believes that when the alligator was living in the wild, it would have eaten small fish this way.
According to Boan, this type of injury is not uncommon. Many other alligators and crocodiles have also lost their upper jaws in battles with other animals.
While the initial situation was quite severe, Jawlene is currently eating well and gaining weight.
Gatorland hopes that this alligator will continue to thrive and become a "precious American treasure", much like the singer Dolly Parton that it is named after.
This is not the first miracle case about an animal.
In 1945, Colorado farmer Lloyd Olsen was attempting to slaughter a 5.5-month-old chicken for dinner.
However, despite Olsen's attempt to chop off the chicken's head with an axe, the remarkable bird survived. Named Mike, this headless chicken went on to live for an astounding 18 more months.
To keep Mike alive, Olsen fed the chicken a mixture of milk and water through an eyedropper, supplemented by corn kernels and worms.
Despite lacking a head, Mike continued to exhibit typical chicken behaviors like preening its feathers, scratching the ground, and even attempting to crow.
Scientists hypothesized that Mike's survival was because Olsen's axe strike did not fully sever the jugular vein, preventing fatal bleeding.
Additionally, part of Mike's brainstem and one ear remained intact, helping to maintain his bodily functions and balance.
However, Mike eventually choked to death on a kernel of corn in 1947.
