Alligators page 4g Feeding 7

ALLIGATOR BEHAVIOR page 4g: FEEDING 7
This page was born 7/07/2022. Rickubis designed it. (such as it is.) Last update: 07/11/2022
Images and contents on this page copyright ©2001-2022 Richard M. Dashnau

Many people have seen programs on television showing crocodiles attacking large animals like deer and cattle. While this is amazing, and sometimes horrifying, those
creatures are not alligators. Crocodiles' jaws are a bit different than alligators' jaws, and are used differently. Alligators favor prey items that will fit inside their head.
That is, if they can swallow it whole, then they will normally attack it. Alligators sometimes eat deer in the park, but the larger ones were probably found carcasses,
but small fawns might have been live captures. Alligators have eaten large nutria (as I've shown on this website). But, most of the time, they will eat things like small fish,
frogs, and crayfish. Snakes and turtles are also pursued, with alligators seeming to be especially well-adapted for eating turtles. A study done in Texas examined
the stomach contents of about 50 alligators (which were unharmed). Research showed that only one of these alligators had eaten a bird (which couldn't be identified,
it might have already been carrion when taken), and the rest had stomach full of small fish and shellfish. I've seen 11-foot alligators going after prey that was no larger
than their largest teeth (very small frogs and fish).

03/13/2022 I found this Alligator with a Nutria in Pilant Lake. I'd heard about it from visitors that I'd encountered while walking the trails. So, it had been working on the carcass for a few
at least a few hours. By this time, I've seen quite a few examples of alligators consuming prey, but I am always open to capturing it again. So, I did.
I captured a series of photos as it handled the carcass. (warning: The pictures may be a bit graphic for some visitors.) I repeat, the alligator had been at this for at
least a few hours, so the Nutria was long-past feeling anything. This first series of 8 shots show the "inertial handling" of the Nutria; involving the alligator tossing the carcass and
shifting the position of its jaws while the carcass is in the air. All of the activity described below also has video clips, it's uploaded and visible here (mp4) (7/8/2022)

Showing slowed video,or a series of images can be misleading. This happens very quickly, and the alligator may drop the carcass often. As the process continues, the carcass getssofter
as the connective tissues and bones are crushed, so it "flops" around a lot.

For this experience, I happened along at the right time to capture the first major breach of the carcass. The 1st image below shows how the alligator tries to lift the entire carcass free of the
substrate (water, plants, land, mud). Then it usually swings the prey to the side and back; then falls forward while swinging its snout (and the prey) forward. The 2nd image captured the
carcass as it swung forward--horizontal; fully extended by the forces acting upon it. Images 3 and 4 show the end of the prey snap; as the alligator pulled back on the carcass that was still
moving forward. At this moment, the carcass tore. The mighty jaw-muscles are visible as they worked to hold the moving dead weight.

A few minutes later, the situation became complicated. While the gator with the Nutria rested, another alligator appeared out of the snag of small trees a bit West (Off to the left in the
pictures below). Something like this often happens. Whenever something is thrashing around in the water enough to make a sound and/or splash--it will often get the attention of alligators
in the vicinity. So, not only was there commotion in the water--but there was also a Nutria carcass. BUT THEN...another alligator appeared behind the first newcomer!! The second gator
was smaller than the first newcomer. They moved through the plants in single file, deliberately pushing towards the alligator that had food, with the large one leading. The nutria-gator moved
off, going West.; and the two newcomers followed. All 3 gators moved slowly--but they were dealing with each other. The "widescreen" images below are frames from the video.

The gator with nutria quietly moved west, and into the trees, while the two newcomers moved to where that gator had been eating, and they searched there-maybe there was residual rodent
odor there. Not pictured here (but in the video which I will get to) was the interesting relationship of the two new gators. The smaller one moved into the lead for a while as they slowly
pursued the other alligator. An association between them seemed to be in place (they were..."together"?), or maybe it was just both of them seeking the same prize.

The images below show the pair of gators after they'd turned back. The 2nd image shows the alligator with the Nutria moving among the branches. The third images shows the gators back
where the other one had been shaking the Nutria. Maybe they could smell the carcass.

The last image below shows the alligator and parts of the Nutria after it had come back next to the trail. As I mentioned above, all of the activity described here also has video clips, it's
uploaded and visible here (mp4) (7/8/2022)

04/22/2021 I've finally gotten a closer look at an alligator at Fiorenza Park North! I've seen an alligator there before, but far away, on one of the islands. This time it
moved away from the closer bank. I watched it swim across to the West edge. I know that alligators often forage along the boundary between different conditions-for example
at the edge of a floating mass of plants, or the shallow edge of a pond or a lake or sharp edge; as shown here. I shot video (and a few stills) while watching the alligator through
the camera. The alligator did not catch anything, and eventually moved out towards its usual island spot. But I did capture some short meetings between the alligator and two
other animals. They are shown in the images below. I'd seen the Nutria swim past going in the other direction. I happened to be filming when it swam back. I caught that on video,
and that's been edited into a clip that you can see here.

  Wide shot showing alligator on the right.    There's a turtle on a ledge in front. Suddenly a Nutria swam past! The alligator didn't seem to care.

The alligator slowly turned,,, ...towards the turtle. The turtle and the alligator stared looked at each other. The turtle decided to leave.

The turtle's dive. PLOP! The turtle was gone.     The alligator might have been disappointed. It floated its body a bit, the back and tail showed.

The alligator turned and slowly moved along the bank. Are those holes erosion, or burrows? Then, it left for the island. Temperature was about 50ï¿½ F where I was standing.