This extraordinary footage was captured by a member of the Sheriff’s Department who had to warn residents around Harrington Lake that an alligator was heading for an Easter holiday swim. At the end of the film, we see the alligator slip into the water and disappear from view.
Alligators in the USA
This alligator was estimated to be about 10 feet in length and was seen in Florida, USA. American alligators can run at up to 15mph on land, making them one of the fastest large reptiles on earth, but this one was taking it easy! Locally known as ‘gators’ these guys can be huge! Male adults can be up to 15 feet long. As you can see in this video, alligators have thick muscular tails that propel them efficiently through the water and short, stocky legs. Their toes are webbed which helps them to swim and stops them sinking on muddy riverbanks. Moving on land is not so easy and they often crawl or slide along the slippery river banks on their bellies.
Hunting Alligators
It’s estimated that there are around 1.3 million alligators in Florida (second only to Louisiana) and they like to live near water. They are a carnivore and a solitary predator except when they are young and may hunt in groups. Alligators hunt fish, birds and small mammals. However, larger adult gators will tackle larger prey including other alligators, deer, panthers and bears. Some people claim that they will also attack domestic pets. Their multiple stomachs allow them to grind up and then digest food in acid. The sheriff gave a timely warning to people in the area. Even though gators do not view us as prey, they will attack humans if they see us as a threat. Alligator attacks on humans have been recorded. Luckily, the Easter outing in this vid passed without incident!
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