Snappy purchase! Customer caught on video trying to trade an alligator for beer

It was unclear why the man thought the clerk would accept the 4-foot reptile as payment

It's a question often pondered: how much beer is a four-foot baby alligator worth?

This was the pressing matter on the mind of Florida man Fernando Caignet Aguilera when he wandered into a convenience store at the Santa Ana Market last week and attempted to trade a live alligator for a twelve pack of beer.

Mr Aguilera, 64, and the alligator were caught on video attempting to make the bizarre exchange on December 10th.

Mr Aguilera has since been cited with illegally capturing the animal.

It was unclear why the man thought the clerk at the Santa Ana Market in Miami would accept the 4-foot (1.2-meter) reptile as payment, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino said on Tuesday.

"I think that anybody who would conceive this scheme is not thinking properly," Pino said

The clerk called authorities and Aguilera was cited on December 10 with possessing, illegally taking and attempting to sell the alligator, which he said he caught at a park. Each of the three misdemeanor charges caries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a fine up to $500.

Jorge Pino said the alligator was unharmed and was released back into the wild.

Alligators are no longer endangered but it is illegal to take them in Florida except during a closely regulated annual hunt.

Additional reporting by Reuters.