As a wildlife photographer, every once in a while you come across something and think ‘wow, few people have probably seen this before’. Yesterday, on the boardwalk of La Chua trail in Payne’s Prairie Preserve State Park (just outside Gainesville, Florida), I came across such a scene. A truly massive alligator had half of a smaller alligator clutched in its jaws, apparently in the process of devouring it.
A massive alligator with half a smaller alligator clutched in its jaws. Click to enlarge photos.
A few notes and observations on this remarkable scene…. It occurred at dusk. It took place at the water’s edge of Alachua sink, a shallow basin which drains the surrounding prairie. The water is completely covered by introduced water hyacinth. The larger alligator was probably in the range of 12 to 14 feet in length. It was a male. The alligator being eaten (of which only half was present) was not small by any means. I didn’t observe the capture and killing of the smaller alligator, so do not know how exactly the smaller alligator was dismembered or if the other half was already eaten by the same large alligator. Male alligators are territorial, but this seemed a case of predation for consumption rather than a territorial battle between two males.
The boardwalk at La Chua trail, scene of the alligator on alligator predation event. Photographed here a few days earlier, during the daylight.
I stayed and observed for 40 minutes (8:35 to 9:15 pm). I wanted to stay longer but I was being devoured by mosquitoes and technically the park closes at sundown. Furthermore, there was no indication that the larger alligator was going to swallow the smaller alligator anytime soon and I might have been there for hours waiting.
During the 40 minutes of observation the larger alligator was motionless 99.99% of the time, with the smaller alligator clutched in its jaws. There were three intervals of a few seconds each where it shifted position, adjusted its grip on the smaller alligator, and/or moved further out of the water. During one of these brief episodes it violently shook the smaller alligator with a side-to-side head thrashing movement before suddenly stopping.
All photos are presented chronologically. Initially, photos were taken in natural light but as it got darker I used a camera flash. It would have been pointless to take video given the low light conditions and the fact that the alligator was motionless for nearly the entire observation period.
Two other alligators, which can be seen in some of the photos, appeared flanking the larger alligator on either side. They seemed to be attracted by the commotion when the larger alligator changed position and violently shook the smaller alligator, though they remained at the water’s edge.
Curious bystanders. Two additional alligators appeared at the water’s edge, apparently attracted by the commotion.
Reason and Nature 