In an unusual encounter between a large predator and scavengers, a couple caught with their camera a standoff between an alligator and a wake of hungry vultures over a dead softshell turtle that is primed for eating.
Jesse Mckelvey and his girlfriend Abby said the standoff happened on February 20 at the 1,267-acre Circle B Bar Reserve near Lakeland and about 25 miles east of Tampa. Vultures are known to be dominant scavengers, so it is no wonder that they are after the dead turtle's carcass.
Standoff Between an Alligator With a Group of Hungry Vultures Over a Turtle's Carcass Caught in Camera
Alligator Vs. Vultures
A giant alligator just popped out of the harsh and targeted the carcass. Mckelvey said that the gator came from the opposite side of the trail before it crossed the water and swam next to the vultures who were aiming for the carcass. The alligator immediately went for the turtle and stared the cultures in the eyes as it took the dead turtle into his mouth, Miami Herald reported.
However, the vultures held their ground and refused to retreat. Their resistance resulted in an awkward standoff with the 12- to 13-foot alligator, who struggled to fit the softshell turtle into its mouth. Mckelvey shared five of the videos he took of the standoff in his Facebook account, showing how some vultures mustered up the courage to try to grab the carcass from the alligator.
However, the large reptile scared them away when it dropped the turtle's carcass and attempted to attack the vultures instead. Loud crunches can be heard from the video as the alligator chews the turtle and slings it around, splashing water on the birds.
The standoff between them lasted about 20 minutes, including the time when the alligator was looking for the parts of the turtle lost in the water. The site is known for its large population of alligators and even has an Alligator Alley. Mckelvey, who lives in Lakeland, said that the alligator involved with the standoff with the group of vultures was not the biggest one they saw that day, as many were just sunbathing and not moving in the area.
Foraging Habits of Alligators
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), alligators are opportunistic predators like crocodiles. Their diets mainly compose of prey species that are abundant and are easily accessible.
Young alligators usually eat insects, amphibians, small fish, and other invertebrates. Meanwhile, adult alligators eat rough fish, turtles, small mammals, snakes, and birds. There are also instances when human remains are found inside their stomachs.
Eating Habits of Vultures
Vultures are essential animals in the ecosystem, although they might not be anyone's favorite animal. According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, vultures help the ecosystem by feeding on dead or dying animals, which makes them the dominant scavengers.
They have highly acidic stomachs allowing them to eat dead and decaying animals without getting sick. Most of them prefer to eat dead animals. However, some, like the black vultures, prefer to kill and eat weak or dying animals. Their eating habits help remove dying animals, victims of roadkill, or those that die of natural causes from the environment to prevent the spread of diseases.
Below is a video of a group of hungry vultures eating a carcass of a dead alligator in North Port Florida:
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