Only in Florida: Man arrested after catching and killing five alligators for Super Bowl snacks

Florida police arrested a sports fan for allegedly capturing and killing five alligators with a plan to cook their tails to eat during the Super Bowl, local media said Tuesday.

Richard Nixie, 30, is accused of killing the small alligators, which were 1.5m long — alligator hunting is prohibited in the state without a license.

"No one should have possession of a Florida alligator unless they are a state nuisance alligator trapper," Greg Workman, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told the Orlando Sun Sentinel.

Nixie, from the small town of DeBary, was held in jail before being released on bail while he awaits trial.

The Super Bowl, something of a national holiday in the United States, brings together millions of Americans for viewing parties where snack food and alcohol abound.

Sunday's game was the most watched show in American television history, seen by a record 114.4 million US viewers, telecaster NBC said.