Jawlene, Jawlene! Florida alligator missing top jaw gets punny Dolly Parton name

Jolene's beauty was beyond compare, Dolly Parton sang in her hit song.

This Florida alligator may not have "flaming locks of auburn hair" or a smile that's "like a breath of spring" but she is a survivor.

Earlier this month, an alligator missing its top jaw was rescued by wildlife officials after being spotted in Sanford, Florida. The gator was affectionately named Lil Guy by a local wildlife advocate before being transferred to Gatorland.

Turns out Lil Guy was a little girl.

The beginning:Florida alligator missing his top jaw, rescued after finding online fame

A new name

After discovering her sex, Gatorland asked for the public's help to rename the alligator, who is thought to have lost her top jaw in a snare trap.

"This little gator is an absolute treasure, we are so in love with her," Gatorland CEO and president Mark McHugh said in a Facebook video.

McHugh went on to say that one name suggestion from the public really stuck out.

"We're gonna name this little gator Jawlene," he said in the video as Gatorland's international ambassador, Savannah Boan, held the reptile.

Boan then belted out: "Jawlene, Jawlene, Jawlene, Jawlene!" ala "Jolene."

"Omgosh!! That name is perfect!" one commenter said. Another added: "You go girl!!!! Keep getting stronger!!!!"

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Jawlene's first veterinary appointment

At 49 inches long and weighing just 7 pounds, Jawlene arrived malnourished and underweight, Dr. Jim Bogan said in a Gatorland video.

"How do you even breathe?" he said looking at her in wonder. He explained that alligators usually breathe through the nostrils on their top jaw, but Jawlene does so through a hole at the back of her mouth.

At one point, she tried (unsuccessfully) to bite the vet.

In their Facebook post, Boan said that Jawlene has successfully eaten mice on her own and has put on some weight. She doesn't chew, but rather uses her tongue to push food to the back of her mouth and swallow it.

Jawlene is recovering well and staying in isolation in her own private pool.

"We're gonna let her get comfortable, start eating, put on some weight, and just get situated in her new world," McHugh said, adding that there were no immediate plans for a prosthetic jaw for Jolene just yet, though that could be a possibility in the future.