Tailless Alligator Seen Crossing Louisiana Highway, Appears to Thrive
An unusual sight greeted drivers on Highway 23 in Plaquemines Parish earlier this month: an alligator, devoid of its tail, waddling across the asphalt.
On May 19, Ashlyn Bartholomew was driving her children home from baseball practice when she encountered the reptile. “I couldn’t tell at first if he was an alligator or a big dog or what,” she recalled, her voice tinged with disbelief.
As she slammed on the brakes, the gator settled down on the pavement, allowing Bartholomew to capture the moment on her phone. “I didn’t know what that was,” she said in the video, while her boyfriend expressed his astonishment from the passenger seat.
The alligator’s tail had been completely severed at the base, leaving behind a small, healed nub. “He laid down. He was just minding his own business,” Bartholomew noted, describing how the creature eventually stood up and continued its journey across the road.
“He just took his little time and waddled into the canal,” she added, marking her first encounter with a tail-less alligator.
The cause of the alligator's injury remains uncertain. Zoologists suggest it may have been involved in a confrontation with another alligator, as larger specimens possess the strength to sever tails. “I’ve seen an adult alligator missing 75 percent of its tail before,” said Robert Mendyk, a reptile expert at Audubon Zoo, emphasizing that territorial disputes are common among these creatures.
A tailless alligator was seen slowly waddling across a road in southern Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/AKkN5xe0li
— Storyful (@Storyful) May 27, 2025
Another potential cause could be an encounter with a boat propeller. Mendyk explained that alligators are remarkably resilient and capable of healing from injuries. “The wound walls itself off and heals,” he stated, highlighting their impressive regenerative abilities.
However, the loss of its tail likely impacts the alligator's swimming capabilities, forcing it to adapt its hunting strategies. “One way or another, it seems to be surviving,” Mendyk concluded, underscoring the creature's tenacity in the face of adversity.
