A few months ago, our Orlando airboat rides wrote a blog about a gator who had lost his tail, likely due to a bite from another gator. Mr. Stubbs, the gator who was missing his tail when he arrived at the Phoenix Herpetological Society, has finally been fitted with his brand new prosthetic tail that has taken over a year to create!
Alligators are prime swimmers, but Mr. Stubbs had a hard time without his tail. He was often in danger of drowning because of his lack of tail, which gave the folks over at the Phoenix Herpetological Society an idea that could help him swim more like a gator, rather than with the dog-paddle that he is so used to.
Although he has to unlearn his dog-paddle swimming, the new prosthetic tail will give Mr. Stubbs a better quality of life that would keep him in motion. The gator was confiscated in 2005 when he was 3 years old, and an x-ray had shown a crushed vertebrate likely due to another gator who had bitten off his tail. The center’s main goal is to re-home their alligators to zoos or refuges, but Mr. Stubbs didn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. The team took six months just to teach him how to swim with his front feet!
After many trial and error fittings, Mr. Stubbs was placed into a pool while his new tail waved behind him. Though more prosthetics will need to be constructed as he grows, he’s on the right track to re-learning how to swim like an alligator.
At Wild Florida, we specialize in creating unique and exhilarating Orlando airboat rides that are fun for the whole family. We dedicate our time to giving you a once in a lifetime airboat ride with the best opportunities to view Florida’s natural wildlife ranging from alligators to bald eagles. Call our airboat tours today at 407-901-2563 to book your tour today!
