BIG PINE KEY, Fla. -- Wildlife officials say an alligator in the Florida Keys has died after eating a toy turtle the size of a cookie-cutter.

The 9-foot male was known by locals as "Bacardi" because of his No. 151 tail tag. He was found dead in the popular Blue Hole quarry on Tuesday, and officials determined the cause the following day.

A necropsy showed the plastic toy stuck between the alligator's stomach and intestines, blocking his ability to digest food. The average weight for alligators his size is 250 pounds, but Bacardi weighed only 188 pounds.

Officials also found a plastic toy soldier in the alligator's stomach.

National Key Deer Refuge manager Anne Morkill called the alligator's death "needless and due to someone's carelessness."