A Florida alligator has been filmed dragging the rotting carcass of another giant gator in its jaws.
The video—taken at Lake Apopka, Orange County, by Meagan Tallman—shows an alligator lurking in the swamp with the dead alligator's tail clamped in its jaws.
The alligator then begins moving, dragging the dead alligator around the swamp.
"The other [alligator] is dragging him around to eat him," Tallman can be heard saying in the video.
The alligator then moves towards the river bank, and looks as if he may drag his prey up on the bank. However he seems to think twice about it, and then continues swimming around the swamp.
There had been a previous brawl over this dead alligator, someone can be heard saying in the video.
Florida is home to around 1.3 million alligators. They live all over the state in marshlands and swamps.
Lake Apopka is one of the largest lakes in Florida. People can take wildlife drives around the lake.
There are many alligators lurking in the lake and they are commonly seen swimming there.
The dead alligator appears white in color. After Tallman posted the video to Facebook, some people were confused, believing it to be an albino.
However this alligator had just been dead a really long time. The dead alligator also appears very bloated, signaling that it had been dead for a while.
In a comment to the video, Tallman said it had looked "quite decayed." Newsweek asked Tallman for comment.
It is likely that this alligator was already dead when the others began fighting over the easy meal.
It is not uncommon for alligators to eat other alligators, and the species is often observed being cannibalistic.
Alligators may eat and kill each other for multiple reasons.
They are extremely territorial creatures, which can provoke them into brawling with each other.
It also depends on what other prey sources are in the area. Alligators may eat other alligators because it is the easiest food source available.
Photographer Barbara D'Angelo had been traveling home when she decided to take a detour through Orlando Wetlands Park.
"The birds were settling in and it was getting dark," D'Angelo told Newsweek at the time. "I turned westerly to see the sunset and how I wanted to compose my photo when I heard a huge splash behind me. Turning around, I saw that large gator raising his head with something dark in his mouth."
That is when she saw the huge alligator tenderizing its meal in a brutal attack.
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about alligators? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
