WEIRD STUFF:

Mexican mayor marries alligator lookalike

The mayor of a Mexican town has married a female reptile.

Victor Hugo Sosa wed the alligator-like caiman reptile, Alicia Adriana, as he re-enacted an ancient ritual that is believed to bring good fortune to the people of San Pedro Huamelula.

Local tradition calls the creature the "princess girl" and the mayor revealed that the pair "loved each other" as they entered into holy matrimony.

Sosa said during the ritual: "I accept responsibility because we love each other. That is what is important.

"You can't have marriage without love... I yield to marriage with the princess girl."

Weddings between a man and a female caiman have taken place in the town for more than 200 years to commemorate the peace between the Chontal and Huave indigenous groups.

The mayor represents the Chontal king and marries the reptile -- who symbolises a Huave princess girl -- in a union of the two communities.

---------

Birds get 'divorced' due to cheating

Researchers have found that male promiscuity and long periods apart contribute to monogamous birds switching to a different partner for a subsequent breeding season.

It is thought that 90 per cent of bird species generally have a single mate over at least one breeding season, but the new findings from experts in China and Germany prove that the creatures are torn apart in a similar manner to human beings.

The team found that greater male promiscuity was linked to higher 'divorce' rates but this did not apply to promiscuous female birds.

Dr. Zitan Song, a co-author of the research at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, said: "When a male bird is promiscuous, it is often perceived as a reduction of this commitment, as his attention and resources are divided among several females.

"This can make him less attractive as a partner, and thus more likely to be 'divorced' in the next breeding season. Conversely, a male can augment his fitness by mating with multiple females."

A MAN finds live snake in broccoli

Neville Linton was terrified after noticing a ladder snake in the vegetable he had purchased at a supermarket in Stourbridge, a town in England.

As he took it out of the fridge to prepare a meal, Linton discovered the non-venomous snake near the stem.

He said: "It was pretty frightening. I'm not good with snakes.

"It's lucky I didn't just leave the broccoli out in the kitchen, or it would have been loose in the house.

"That would have been a huge risk because we have two vulnerable people living here."

The ladder snake -- which can give a serious bite -- has now been taken to Dudley Zoo.

A spokesperson for the supermarket told Sky News: "We are investigating this isolated incident and have apologised to Mr Linton that our usual high standards were not met."