70-Year-Old Woman Discovers World's First Orange Alligator

by Jerry James Stone

from: http://www.treehugger.com

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Photo courageously taken by Sylvia Mythen

Sylvia Mythen, a 70-year-old grandmother from Venice, Fl, has discovered what appears to be the world's first orange alligator.
  She was returning from work on Thursday when she drove by the gator and promptly had to back up for a double-take. Luckily, Sylvia wasn't frightened enough to miss out on a great photo opportunity. "I thought this is great...I'm going to snap a picture and send it to my grandkids so they think I'm one of the coolest grandmas in Florida," she said.

You can see the full high-res photo here. She was not the only Sorrento Woods resident who saw the reptile. Phillip Crosby also told ABC 7 that "He was just sun basking right here on this cement pier minding his own business." After sending the picture to her local news station she also contacted a biologist who believes the gator is really just half-albino. That said, he says he has never seen or heard of one. But Gary Morse from Florida Fish and Wildlife feels the orange color might be from some environmental element. Regardless, the University of Florida Gators might have a new mascot.