Mortality of American alligators attributed to cannibalism
Herpetologica
By: Michael F. Delany, Allan R. Woodward, Richard A. Kiltie, and Clinton T. Moore
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Abstract
Mortality of juvenile (<122 cm total length; TL) American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) attributed to cannibalism on Orange Lake, Florida was examined. Alligator web tags used in mark–recapture studies were found in 12% of 267 stomachs sampled from alligators ≥168 cm TL. Captive alligators retained 76% of force-fed tags during a 588-d tag-retention trial. Models relating the probability of tag recovery to the annual probabilities of juvenile survival, cannibalism, tag retention, adult survival, and adult harvest suggested that cannibalism may on average remove 6–7% of the juvenile alligator population annually. Vulnerability continued to 140 cm TL (age 6–8 yr). Cannibalism of juveniles may serve to regulate the alligator population on Orange Lake. Alligator cannibalism may vary widely among populations, depending on demography and environmental conditions. The role and importance of cannibalism in alligator population dynamics should be more fully assessed and environmental and population factors that influence cannibalism identified to better evaluate management programs.
Suggested Citation
Delany, M.F., Woodward, A., Kiltie, R.A., Moore, C., 2011, Mortality of American alligators attributed to cannibalism: Herpetologica, v. 67, no. 2, p. 174-185, https://doi.org/10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-10-00040.1.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Mortality of American alligators attributed to cannibalism |
| Series title | Herpetologica |
| DOI | 10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-10-00040.1 |
| Volume | 67 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 2011 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Herpetologists' League |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 12 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Herpetologica |
| First page | 174 |
| Last page | 185 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| Other Geospatial | Orange Lake |