ESTO, Fla. – Florida is a state well-known for its alligators, though one legendary alligator took the cake during the 20th Century — an 18-foot-long bull alligator nicknamed “Two-Toed Tom.”
According to famed Florida journalist E.W. Carswell, Tom originally hailed from South Alabama in the early 1900s.
He gained his moniker from his two-toed tracks (a result of losing the other three to a steel trap), and he was known for his red eyes and steel-like hide.
But the reason for his notoriety was thanks to all the problems for which he was blamed.
“Old Tom was credited with just about every kind of high crime imaginable, including eating mules and children and attacking women…” Carswell wrote in 1972. “Actually, he probably got credited with much he didn’t do. He gained such a reputation that when something bad happened, that terrible Two-Toed Tom got the credit.”
After reportedly terrorizing the region, he was flushed out by locals, who formed hunting groups to slay the monster reptile. However, Tom’s hide was apparently so tough that it deflected the bullets from those who tried to kill him.
Carswell explains that residents used dynamite to blast ponds near the scene of one of his alleged crimes, causing the giant alligator to pack up and cross over into Florida’s panhandles — specifically, Holmes County.
After being chased away, Tom seemingly laid down roots at Sand Hammock Pond.
There, locals claimed he formed a harem, though stranger yet, he seemed to fall in love with the whistle of the nearby Alabama and Florida Lumber Company.
Early each morning, Tom would begin bellowing from the northeastern end of the lake.
“It is a deep-throated rumble that easily could be mistaken for the voice of doom, particularly if it’s Two-Toed Tom that’s doing the rumbling,” Carswell explains. “It can be heard great distances, maybe for miles, disturbing cattle, scaring mules and horses, frightening chickens and sheep and prompting mothers to warn children not to stray far from home.”
But how true could some of these legends be?
Dr. Frank Mazzotti, a wildlife professor at the University of Florida, discussed the rumors with News 6.
He explained that alligators will often bellow in response to not only other alligators, but to big trucks, overhead jets and more. So it’s not far-fetched to believe that Tom could have fallen for the steam whistle.
Depending on the size of an alligator, the angle of shot and the caliber of bullet, an alligator’s hide could potentially be strong enough to withstand gunfire, Mazzotti added.
And while he’s not sure of the frequency, Mazzotti said that alligators can be injured by traps in the wild, so it’s not too far-fetched to believe that Tom lost over half of his paw to one.
In addition, an alligator’s eyes can glow red at night when light reflects off of them.
However, Tom’s size has never been confirmed by the state. On record, the largest alligator ever found in Florida was 17 feet, 5 inches, according to the state’s archives.
But the largest gator ever discovered was over 19 feet, having been located in Louisiana — so an 18-foot-long alligator in Florida might not be impossible.
Carswell writes that Tom’s bellows stopped one day, leading some to believe he had died, though others guessed he had just gotten tired of the area and moved on.
“They could have been right because some of the other ‘gators also left,” Carswell says. “Their tracks could be seen heading south. At least one of the bigger ones went in that direction, walking down a dirt road as if he owned the right-of-way.”
It’s unlikely that Tom is still around — Mazzotti told News 6 that alligators usually only get to around 50 years old in the wild — though some locals have reported seeing his tracks as recently as the 1970s.
In the Florida town of Esto, residents still get together for the annual Two-Toed Tom Festival, riding in bikes, go-carts, ATVs, lawnmowers and tractors to celebrate the local legend.
While you’re not likely to come face-to-face with Tom himself, there’s always a chance of a gator attack when you’re near water in Florida. For tips on how to defend yourself or avoid attacks, click here.
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