Blown-out ‘tire’ in ditch turns out to be surprising scaly creature, Texas video shows

A rain storm in Texas uncovered an unlikely creature — a scaly reptile that was initially believed to be a blown-out tire in a ditch.

Video shared by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office shows an alligator in a ditch off the side of a road in La Grange. A man is heard saying in the video that he hit the gator after thinking it was part of a tire in the roadway.

“The rain has definitely washed in some things you don’t see every day in Fayette County,” the sheriff said in a Facebook post.

The gator appeared to have blood on its nose, but otherwise seemed OK. Texas Parks and Wildlife officials told KXAN the alligator ”moved along into the wild on its own.”

La Grange, about 60 miles southeast of Austin, is among the western-most area where alligators can be seen in Texas. The highest concentration of alligators in Texas is in the southeast portion of the state near the gulf coast.

American alligators are usually seen in “coastal marshes, natural lakes, riverine wetlands and some reservoirs,” according to Texas Parks & Wildlife. It’s believed there are between 400,000 to 500,000 gators in the state, The Dallas Morning News reported.

The increasing population of people in Texas has led to more frequent alligator sightings, officials said.

Recent rainfall, wildlife officials told KXAN, also has led to alligators being active in parts of Texas.

This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Blown-out ‘tire’ in ditch turns out to be surprising scaly creature, Texas video shows."