Florida teens held after crash leaves two alligators hanging from truck window

The teenagers did not say what they planned to do with the alligators once they got them home, the FWC said, but the younger of the two confessed to using a large rock to try to kill the creatures before loading them into the truck.

The youths told officers they were unhappy about the reptiles chasing their fishing lines.

It was not clear what caused the vehicle to overturn. The alligator that was still alive at the time of the accident died shortly afterwards.

Alligators are an increasingly common sight on the roadways of Florida, a state with an estimated 1.3 million of them, although most make their own way there from the swamps of the Everglades.

Wildlife officials say most human-alligator encounters occur during the rainy months beginning in April, when amorous reptiles leave the swamps at the start of mating season.

But the FWC advises anglers and boaters in particular to look out for alligators at all times of the year, because of the sheer number in inland canals and waterways.