Researchers Strapped Cameras on the Backs of Alligators to Study Their Feeding Habits

Posted on January 25, 2014

Researchers strapped cameras (National Geographic Crittercams) on the backs of alligators and observed them hunting prey. The researchers first had to capture that alligators and get the cameras on their backs. They used a harness to hold the Crittercams on the back of alligators like a backpack.

National Geographic reports that the researchers found the alligators eat lots of small creatures, such as crayfish and turtles. The alligators hunt the most frequently during the night, but they were most successful hunting early in the morning, between 4 and 9 a.m. One narcoleptic alligator passed out temporarily during the experiment. The findings were published in here in the journal PLoS One.

The first 5 minute clip about the study is from National Geographic. The second very short clip shows an alligator munching after it has captured its prey. Take a look:

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