Predators Of The Alligator

The Alligators are one of the largest species of crocodiles, and sometimes they can grow to 5-6 meters length. However, according to the stories of the Cajun people, during their 300 years of existence on this land, several alligators with a huge stature appeared.

All the babies of the crocodiles look the same. According to the Swamp people, you cannot identify the crocodile that will become the leader of the pack until the age of 2 years old. They are not even thinking about alligator hunting for those small babies. In fact, the Cajun and Swamp people are allowed to conduct alligator hunting as long as they are respecting some strict rules, and this is one of them.

Amongst the reptiles, the alligators have the biggest brain. The alligators usually die of age, being one of the fewest animals that do not need to worry about being hunted. This is why the most important predators of the alligator are the people. Let’s see the main harmful effects of people over the alligators.

Besides alligator hunting, affecting the areas of the alligators is another huge problem for the animals. Even if this process is prominent in South America and Asia, the Cajun people claim that investors are trying to buy large portions of swamp to dry them and to build estates. Building dams is forbidden in the Swamp people area, and the process of alligator hunting is strictly controlled. Because of massive deforestation, the fauna is greatly affected. The quantity of precipitations is also decreased, creating other problems for the Cajun population, for the Swamp people and for all the inhabitants of this area that are living from alligator hunting.

The disappearance of the alligators also affects the people, as it could ruin the ecological equilibrium. For example, in Florida, the alligators are eating a carnivore fish. The carnivore fish eats other species of useful fishes. The alligators are also helping other species during the dry periods, as the holes they dig are filled with water, allowing other fishes to survive.

Many animals are the victims of the crocodiles as they are drinking water on the side of the rivers. However, even if they have sharp and strong teeth, they can’t tear apart the flesh so fast. This is why the alligators are trying to draw the prey into the water to drown it.

The crocodiles and the alligators change their teeth 40 times in a lifetime. An alligator can eat wood, stones, or even toilet seats. The alligators are deposing eggs, and the babies are completely developed when they hatch. The mother alligator digs holes in the ground, as the temperature in the nest must remain constant. It is not an easy task, as the temperature might vary with 20 degrees a day. The alligator takes the maternal attributions seriously, defending the eggs and attacking any predator that comes near them. The female alligator doesn’t even feed during this period, as they live from the fat deposits gathered on the back and around the tail. Once the babies hatch, the female takes them into the water carefully.

To find out more about Swamp People on History Channel Click Here