A photograph of a raccoon appearing to hitch a ride atop an alligator has made the rounds on the Internet—but is it real?

The person who claims to have taken the photograph, Florida native Richard Jones, told National Geographic it is. But at least one biologist and some photographers have doubts about its veracity.

It all started on Sunday, when Jones told several local media outlets that he took the picture while walking in the Ocala National Forest (map) with his family. He says by email his son must have startled the raccoon, which then scurried onto the alligator in the nearby Ocklawaha River. (See "How to Photograph Wild Animals [Without Getting Hurt.]")

"As for people questioning the