Arizona alligator gets new prosthetic tail

PHOENIX - Mr. Stubbs is a unique resident of the Phoenix Herpetological Society - as one might assume from his name, he no longer has a natural tail.

Mr. Stubbs came to the reptile rescue and rehabilitation center in 2008 after his tail was bitten off by another alligator. 

Three years ago, he received a prosthetic tail to help him move around.

"He has a prosthetic tail because alligators use that tail to propel themselves through the water," says Katelyn Garcia, director of outreach for the center.

However, his weight fluctuates depending on the season, so his tail stub has become a bit thinner, according to Garcia.

Mr. Stubbs will be getting another new tail to fit him perfectly using a 3-D printer to make a cast. It should be fitted by the end of the summer.

"He knew instinctively how to use the tail," Garcia notes. "We didn't have to teach him how to do anything with it."