<p>A seven-foot-long alligator in US has become the first in the world to be given a prosthetic tail.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The 11-year-old reptile, called Mr Stubbs, could not swim after his back end was bitten off by another alligator eight years ago.<br /><br />The Herpetological Society in Phoenix, US fitted Mr Stubbs with a 3-foot-long prosthetic tail made of two types of silicone rubber, attached firmly with nylon straps.<br />It will take months, however, before Mr Stubbs learns how to properly use the tail, USA Today reported.<br /><br />“The fact he doesn’t try to bite it (the tail) is a good sign. Learning how to use it is going to take a lot of training,” said Russ Johnson, president of the Phoenix Herpetological Society.<br /><br />Using cameras and a computer, Justin Georgi, an assistant professor in the department of anatomy at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, studied Mr Stubbs for weeks.<br /><br />Georgi would attach reflective dots to the gator, whose jaws were secured with electrical tape before each session. The dots would form a 3-D computer model, allowing Georgi to see exactly how Mr Stubbs got around.<br /><br />Georgi used the research to devise the tail’s specifications. It had to be buoyant, and weigh just 3-4kg. It also had to be flexible, so when Mr Stubbs wiggled his rear stump, the tail would swing to propel him forward.<br /><br />Sarah Jarvis, research associate in The CORE Institute in Phoenix crafted the tail from silicone rubber, The Arizona Republic reported.<br /><br />With a mold and findings in hand, Jarvis used Body Double and Dragon Skin — two types of silicone rubber — to create a tail. It included a sheath that would fit over Mr Stubbs’ stub.<br /><br />Jarvis painted the prosthetic so the gator would not have to go around with a translucent tail. She tried to match nature’s colours, using green, black, brown and red.</p>
<p>A seven-foot-long alligator in US has become the first in the world to be given a prosthetic tail.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The 11-year-old reptile, called Mr Stubbs, could not swim after his back end was bitten off by another alligator eight years ago.<br /><br />The Herpetological Society in Phoenix, US fitted Mr Stubbs with a 3-foot-long prosthetic tail made of two types of silicone rubber, attached firmly with nylon straps.<br />It will take months, however, before Mr Stubbs learns how to properly use the tail, USA Today reported.<br /><br />“The fact he doesn’t try to bite it (the tail) is a good sign. Learning how to use it is going to take a lot of training,” said Russ Johnson, president of the Phoenix Herpetological Society.<br /><br />Using cameras and a computer, Justin Georgi, an assistant professor in the department of anatomy at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, studied Mr Stubbs for weeks.<br /><br />Georgi would attach reflective dots to the gator, whose jaws were secured with electrical tape before each session. The dots would form a 3-D computer model, allowing Georgi to see exactly how Mr Stubbs got around.<br /><br />Georgi used the research to devise the tail’s specifications. It had to be buoyant, and weigh just 3-4kg. It also had to be flexible, so when Mr Stubbs wiggled his rear stump, the tail would swing to propel him forward.<br /><br />Sarah Jarvis, research associate in The CORE Institute in Phoenix crafted the tail from silicone rubber, The Arizona Republic reported.<br /><br />With a mold and findings in hand, Jarvis used Body Double and Dragon Skin — two types of silicone rubber — to create a tail. It included a sheath that would fit over Mr Stubbs’ stub.<br /><br />Jarvis painted the prosthetic so the gator would not have to go around with a translucent tail. She tried to match nature’s colours, using green, black, brown and red.</p>