Alligators usually follow a series of non-violent behaviors when interacting with each other. But they are animals, not machines, just like we are. People, which are supposed to be "civilized", may react 
savagely if provoked in the right way. The same can be said for any of our domestic animals. Occasionally, even alligators will react violently towards each other. It is foolish to provoke any wild animal,
regardless of size or disposition. The animals have a right to live in their habitat, and humans can share it with them if they take the time to understand the animals.

02/12/2023  At Brazos Bend State Park, the air was cool, but the sun was out.  As the day progressed alligators showed themselves and moved out of the water.
Even though the air was relatively cool, exposure to the sunlight allowed them to collect the infrared and heat themselves. Circulating blood warmed by the sun from the skin and osteoderms
into their bodies as the cooler blood was cycled back out would allow, over time, the alligtors internal temperature to rise higher than the air temperature.  One of our frequent visitors told me
about an alligator with an alligator's carcass in Elm Lake, so I went to see it. The pictures below show that I found it.
Unlike from what the popular media might imply, an alligator eating an alligator carcass is not that uncommon. I usually tell visitors that although we are seeing an alligator eating an alligator
carcass, it doesn't necessarily mean that the carcass was killed by that alligator. It could have been; but most gator fights usually just end with one submitting and escaping.
Large animal carcasses require extra effort for an alligator to process. Alligator teeth are not very good for cutting prey, so they have to spend a lot of time chewing a carcass to soften it and
weaken connective tissues until the prey can be shaken apart. Alligators carcasses are especially tough, with extra bones and strong skin.  Some of the close-up images attached show that
the teeth have not penetrated the skin of the carcass.
In some cases, an alligator carcass is swallowed in one piece, without shaking it apart. I have an example of that from Mother's Day in 2014, on this page. Comparing the size of this carcass
and the live gator, I think it might be possible for this one to consume the carcass if it crushed the skull.
   
     

From BBSP on 05/29/2022   Water level in Pilant Lake has been receding, due to trail construction, lack of rain, and the heat. The receding water is collecting
into various runoff areas and puddles. As I have observed before, various predators at BBSP exploit these spots for easy prey capture. However, an alligator will sometimes
try to take possession of one of the small hunting zones and chase off other birds and alligators. Sometimes the submission or chase doesn't go as the aggressive alligator desired,
and a fight could occur. The series of photos below show such an incident.  The gator on the left was moving upstream, while the other gator had been moving downstream. Both had
been foraging in the slow current formed as the water was leaving from Pilant Lake.The left gator stopped, submerged and turned away--all signals of submission. I've put these images
and the clips I filmed in to this video file (mp4). (video uploaded 6/20/2022)
   

While the gator was submerged, the aggressor gator moved toward it. When the left gator surfaced, the aggressor moved towards it. 
   

There was a short chase until the left gator was caught at the bank. Then the wrestling started. During the first round, I heard two very loud "cracks".  When I reviewed the video, it appears
that their heads banged together to create those sounds.  That's shown in this video file (mp4) (video uploaded 6/20/2022)
   

They wrestled, paused, and wrestled again.  Look at the heightened body positions and the gapes of the two angry alligators. These postures signal high aggression. These were the only
postures or sounds during this entire event.  No snout lifts, tail arches, tail swishes, head-slaps, growls, grunts, bellows, nasal spray, or bubbling. Their backs were higher above the water
than usual, but this was because they were walking/moving through shallow water. The aggressive alligator (the "insti-gator"  ha ha) only started this by moving closer to the other gator.
   

They wrestled, paused, and wrestled again.  I stayed a safe distance away, in case whichever one lost decided to escape by running onto the trail.  Some of these images were direct photos,
and some are frames from the video.  The last two below are from video frames. The gator in the foreground has a large gash just behind its head. This gash would have probably been
worse if not for the alligator's osteoderms. The osteoderms are the disks of bone arranged in rows on the alligator's back.  I've seen many studies and reports have been done about them,
and their probable benefit for crocodilians that have them. Each single osteoderm is a complex mechanical object with amazing structural strength. Rows of them on the gators' backs make
a structure that gives protection and allows flexibility.  But along with the armor (which is probably used mostly in situations like this) the osteoderms also give additional skeletal
support during movements like high-walks. The osteoderms have enhanced blood supply internally and externally. This may help with heat transfer. If submerged for excessive periods, the
osteoderms could help regulate lactic acidosis; and also provide calcium for egg-laying females.
   

After the second "round", they moved apart and went downstream with one of them (I assume the original aggressor, but I lost track while they wrestled), continuing to get close to or in front
of the other. The "loser" tried to swim away, but the "aggressor" continued trying to get in front of it. They finally moved off. 
 

Brazos Bend State Park   The main page.

Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer's Page  The volunteer's main page.

Here are a few links to more information on alligators. There's a LOT of it out there.

    Crocodilian.com

    Adam Britton's Pages 1

    Adam Britton's Pages 2

    Fish and Wildlife Page (Text)

    Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species

And, this page shows alligators at the park, on land, near various landmarks at the park.

           Go back to my main alligator page, Alligators

           Go back to my home page, Welcome to rickubis.com
           Go back to the See the World page.