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Man-eaters: Two-Toed Tom

Two-Toed Tom – a demon coming from hell

How much truth, and how much fairy tale contains the story of this alligator – it is difficult to guess. It was said that this mighty alligator wandered through the swamps on the border between Alabama and Florida. This was to happen in the 1920s.

Name

The name he received from the local population resulted from the traces he left behind. He is said to have lost two fingers in a steel trap, which is why he left a characteristic trail when traveling through the wetlands.

Two-Toed Tom alligator – “a demon coming from hell”

Size

As for an alligator, it was really big – it was 4.5 m (14ft 9in) long. His size and aggressive mood recalled the demon coming straight from hell. This is what the inhabitants of the areas where the reptile attacked perceived him.

Fame

He became (un)famous for his attacks on cows, mules and, most frighteningly, people. He attacked mainly women, but not for ideological reasons 🙂 In the waters where he appeared, women washed their clothes. Therefore, they were easy victims, just like animals drinking water.

Attacks on people and hunting for Tom

Tom’s attacks were so frequent that farmers decided to kill him in the end. However, he was “immune” to missiles. Attempts to kill the alligator lasted about 20 years. The desperate peasants put their trust in brutal simplicity.

They threw 15 dynamite sticks into the pond in which Tom was supposed to be. A powerful explosion killed everything that lived in the pond… except Tom.

A moment after the explosion, the men heard a terrible scream coming from the vicinity of a nearby pond. They ran there, but only managed to see for a moment the bright eyes of the alligator, protruding from the surface of the water. But who was screaming? It is said that it was someone’s reaction to the remains of a girl, a daughter of one of the farmers, thrown on the shore.

Myths and facts

Is the story about Two-Toed Tom real? There are many indications that Tom himself did exist. It is said that he is walking through the swamps of Florida to this day. People from those areas regularly report that they saw a huge alligator lying on the edge of the lake.

Some also talk about a loud roar heard every morning (American alligators roar loudly).

Traces of the two-toed legs were encountered from the ’20s to the ’80s of the twentieth century. An extraordinary story has stimulated the imagination of many hunters who dream of winning such a trophy. However, he was never caught…