Florida woman produces alligator from her pants during traffic stop

May 7 (UPI) -- Authorities in Florida said a woman was cited after she reached into her pants during a traffic stop and pulled out a baby alligator.

The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said a vehicle was stopped about 3:15 a.m. Monday for driving past a stop sign and the driver, a 22-year-old man, told a deputy he and his 25-year-old female passenger had been out trying to collect frogs and snakes from the underpass of Oil Well Road.

The deputy asked the pair to show the wildlife they had collected and the woman opened a backpack by her feet to reveal 42 three-striped mud turtles and one softshell turtle.

The sheriff's office said the woman was asked if she was carrying anything else, and she produced a baby alligator from inside her yoga pants.

Authorities said the turtle species and alligators are both regulated in the state of Florida. The two occupants of the car were cited for possession of the animals and violating bag limits for reptiles.

The turtles and alligator were seized by deputies and released.