Group of Otters Teases Alligator Swimming in a Lake in Florida [Watch]

When otters and alligators come face to face, a pond battle likely ensues. However, in one video, the otters seemed playful as they teased the gator swimming in a lake.

Otters Tease Swimming Alligators in Florida

David Yrastorza captured what seemed to be a hilarious encounter between a gator and a group of three otters. In the clip, the otters are playing on the riverbank. They are later seen approaching the waters where an alligator is swimming.

In one scene, the trio dives into the water as the gator approaches them. When the gator gets close, they dart back and forth as if they are teasing the reptile.

The encounter is hilarious and entertaining, showing the playful side of the otters. It remains unclear how the meeting turns out as the clip ends after the three otters return to the river bank.

Otters Vs. Alligators

Alligators are considered apex predators, and while otters appear harmless and cute, they fight against gators whenever needed. National Geographic obtained a snap of an otter biting what seemed to be a 4-year-old gator about five meters long. The otter in the photo was probably 30 pounds.

Otters usually attack the gators by biting them behind the head. While this strategy seemed ineffective in killing gators as they have armor-like backs, it's a way to outsmart the reptile.

Otters making use of this strategy is reportedly a learned behavior. The otter wants to stay completely out of the croc's strike zone since the reptile swings its head side to side during fights. Thus, it's a wise tactic to mount on the gator's back with fangs set deep into the neck.

Although the bite is not enough to kill the gator directly, it can somehow contribute to its eventual death. To begin with, alligators are pretty challenging to bite through. They have a strong armor on the back designed to deflect bites from other alligators.

However, the otters triumph in the energy department because they possess sustainable energy, while the gators are more akin to a grenade, releasing explosive energy that dissipates quickly.

Thus, the best action is to tire out the gator with a few minutes of thrashing and rolling around. Its muscles will soon be completely exhausted. Lactic acid will fill its muscles and make them non-functional. It almost seems inebriated at that stage, and the otter can bring it ashore.

The alligator will die from lactic acid accumulation, not the otter's bite. However, it would take a very long time to kill the gator.

Several netizens didn't think otters could be vicious because the animal appeared very cute. In this video, an otter attacked a juvenile gator and succeeded. However, size was a determining factor because had the gator been as big as the otter, the results of the battle may have ended differently.

Check out more news and information on Alligators in Science Times.