Friday, March 29, 2019
Alligators like to eat sharks
Researchers said there was evidence of alligators tangling with sharks as far back as the 1870s. Photograph: Svetlana Foote/Alamy https://gu.com/p/7dbcd/stw
Snack attack: alligators like to eat sharks, study reveals
American alligators are frequently seen ambling around golf courses in Florida as players warily compete their rounds. But new research suggests the reptiles partake in a far more outlandish habit when away from the greens – eating sharks.
US researchers have documented instances of alligators preying upon small sharks along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. A study, published in the journal Southeastern Naturalist, claims to be the first scientific study of the largely unseen struggle between the two feared predators.
“The frequency of one predator eating the other is really about size dynamic,” said James Nifong, a researcher at Kansas State University. “If a small shark swims by an alligator and the alligator feels like it can take the shark down, it will, but we also reviewed some old stories about larger sharks eating smaller alligators.”
Nifong and his colleagues spent nearly 10 years studying alligators along the Florida and Georgia coasts, typically using lamps at night to view their nocturnal hunting activities. More than 500 alligators were caught and had their stomachs pumped to see what they had consumed.
Alligators typically eat fish, crustaceans and snails, but Nifong’s research found evidence that they had consumed three species of shark and a type of stingray. The sharks measured 3-4ft.
By looking at the historical record, Nifong saw there was evidence of alligators tangling with sharks as far back as the 1870s, but the observations were limited to an island off the Georgia coast, including one episode in which sharks attacked a group of alligators that were feeding on fish.
The new research found that shark-eating alligators are in fact found along the Atlantic coast of Georgia and Florida, around to Florida’s Gulf coast.
Although sharks prefer salt water and alligators are fresh-water-dwelling, Nifong said that sharks and rays could swim into freshwater and GPS tracking of alligators demonstrated that the animals were opportunistic enough to take advantage.
“Alligators seek out fresh water in high-salinity environments,” Nifong said. “When it rains really hard, they can actually sip fresh water off the surface of the salt water. That can prolong the time they can stay in a saltwater environment.”
More research is required to discover if alligator attacks on sharks are increasing, but interactions may be influenced by coastal development that has pushed alligators out of their estuarine habitats. This has put pressure on alligator populations.
“The findings bring into question how important sharks and rays are to the alligator diet as well as the fatality of some the juvenile sharks when we think about population management of endangered species,” Nifong said.
Link: Researchers find alligators preying on small sharks in Atlantic and Gulf ‘The frequency of one predator eating the other is really about size dynamic’
https://gu.com/p/7dbcd/stw
Man breaks in, jumps into crocodile pool
https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/1268466243931/?jwsource=cl
Man breaks in, jumps into crocodile pool at Florida alligator farm
Surveillance video shows a Florida man being attacked by a
crocodile after jumping into a pit at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.
A Florida man broke into an alligator farm and spent hours splashing around in a pond full of crocodiles before being attacked by one.
Brandon Hatfield allegedly jumped a fence at St. Augustine Alligator Farm on Tuesday night and spent about four hours inside a crocodile pen before being attacked by a 12-foot reptile, CBS News reported.
Security footage shows the man jumping from the roof of a shed and into the pond before splashing around in the water for quite some time. The pond contained at least three large crocodiles. At one point, the video shows a crocodile lunging at the man, biting his leg before thrashing about in the water.
Hatfield is then seen limping in pain before climbing a fence to flee the area.
When staff arrived the next morning, they found a pair of shorts and Crocs sandals, before spotting blood. That’s when they called police.
Hatfield apparently didn’t get too far with his injured leg. A neighbour to the farm spotted the man limping around his property and called authorities.
“As soon as we encountered the guy, we knew something strange was going on,” the neighbour told CBS.
The man was taken to hospital for treatment before being taken into police custody.
© 2018 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Link: https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/1342698051694/
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Crocodile chases fishermen away from their catch, sends them running for...
C
Crocodile chases fishermen away from their catch, sends them running for their lives
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Friday, December 21, 2018
Dr. Reptilia
Welcome to the research laboratory of Dr. Jennifer Moore at Grand Valley State University.
Our research focuses on the spatial ecology, population demographics, and conservation genetics of at-risk species. We aim to understand the factors that impact movement, functional connectivity, and population viability by focusing on research questions that that can be applied directly for conservation and management. (Photo credit above: Eric McCluskey)
Easrern Box Turtle
Link: https://moorejen4.wixsite.com/moorelab/photos
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Tourists pay £103 for a close-up with a 16 FOOT man-eating crocodile
Tourists pay £103 for a close-up with a 16 FOOT man-eating crocodile - and there's just a thin plastic barrier protecting them
- The attraction has opened in Darwin and is ominously called the Cage of Death
- Tourists pay £103 to be lowered into an aquatic enclosure for a 30-minute encounter with the beast
- Keepers feed the fearsome reptile so the predator moves around in the water
Thrill-seeking
holidaymakers can now risk a face-to-face encounter with a 16-foot
saltwater crocodile separated only by a thin plastic barrier.
The tourist attraction, which is based in Darwin, is ominously called the Cage of Death.
Tourists pay £103 to be lowered into an aquatic enclosure for a 30-minute encounter with the beast.
The tourist attraction, which has opened in Darwin, is ominously called the Cage of Death
Tourists are frst hoisted over the water to see the crocodile swirling below, before they are lowered into the waters
They are fed on a diet of chicken, beef and fish as wide-eyed visitors watch them move
After
15 minutes in the water, the tourists are lifted to safety. The
circular cage is held up by a monorail and can be used by two tourists
at a time.
German tourist Nellie
Winters said: 'It's awesome. When I went in at first I didn't expect it
to be that awesome because the crocodile is huge and you're right next
to him.
'I was scared but I was
fascinated as well. I kept thinking he was going to eat me. You are
right next to him and you sometimes forget that there are cages around
you.
'You're that close that you think you could swim next to him and, yeah, he could also eat you, even though he won't.
After 15 minutes in the water,
the tourists are lifted to safety. The circular cage is held up by a
monorail and can be used by two tourists at a time
German tourist Nellie Winters
said: 'It's awesome. When I went in at first I didn't expect it to be
that awesome because the crocodile is huge and you're right next to him'
'I
didn't expect it to be that close and intense so I wasn't that nervous
but when we got into the water right next to him I started to feel very
nervous.'
The Saltwater crocodile is the largest of its kind and can grow to up to 20 feet long.
Their teeth can be as long as four inches and the reptiles are considered one of the most dangerous to humans.
The reptiles are found across the north of Australia and are also native to India and other areas of south-east Asia.
The other reptiles at the cove boast more fearsome names, such as Chopper and Axel
Crocosaurus Cove also gives visitors the opportunity to hold baby crocodiles and feed them using fishing lines
Link: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4863264/Tourists-swim-16-FOOT-saltwater-croc
VIEJOS AMIGOS. Pocho y Chito en una de sus tardes de juegos en Costa Rica.
Murió el cocodrilo Pocho
Medía 4 metros y era conocido por sus peligrosos juegos con su dueño. Mirá el video.
Medía 4 metros y era conocido por sus peligrosos juegos con su dueño. Mirá el video.
Apareció muerto el famoso cocodrilo de cuatro metros de largo al que se conocía como Pocho, que fue domado por un campesino en la zona atlántica de Costa Rica. El dueño del animal, Gilberto Shedden, conocido como "Chito", encontró sin vida al reptil en el estanque donde vivía.
"Chito" cobró fama internacional ya que prácticamente convivía con el enorme lagarto, al que abrazaba y montaba en presencia de sorprendidos turistas y curiosos.
Shedden, con voz entrecortada, dijo que el sábado próximo habitantes del poblado de la comunidad de Siquirres, donde reside, harán una despedida al cocodrilo, antes de sepultarlo.
Link: https://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-man-finds-foot-alligator-backyard-swimming-pool/story?id=37356292
"Chito" cobró fama internacional ya que prácticamente convivía con el enorme lagarto, al que abrazaba y montaba en presencia de sorprendidos turistas y curiosos.
Shedden, con voz entrecortada, dijo que el sábado próximo habitantes del poblado de la comunidad de Siquirres, donde reside, harán una despedida al cocodrilo, antes de sepultarlo.
Link: https://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-man-finds-foot-alligator-backyard-swimming-pool/story?id=37356292
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Huge alligator getting its back scratched and scrubbed with a push broom
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Video
of a huge alligator getting its back scratched and scrubbed with a push
broom at Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale has gone viral.
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/watch-caretaker-scrubs-giant-alligator-s-back-with-push-broom/22685189 Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Texas student's photo with alligator goes viral
Graduation snap: Texas student's photo with alligator goes viral
Makenzie Noland’s pose with 14ft Big Tex has become an internet sensation
Makenzie Noland, a Texas student, poses for hergraduation photo in cap, sash and – somewhat unusually – with an alligator.
The student shared the image on Facebook and Instagram with the caption “not your typical graduation photo”, and found herself at the centre of the internet’s attention.
“I am overwhelmed with how viral my post has gotten,” she posted on Tuesday, “and to see everyone from my hometown pushing me to move forward and supporting me is truly incredible”.
The student, originally from Bellevue in Nebraska, said Tex was adopted by the centre a couple of years ago. According to her social media posts, the animal, who can be fussy about who feeds him, first let Noland do so back in May and they have now become friends.
“I get in the water with that animal every day,” she said, adding that she also tickled his nose before feeding him. “Every single time I get in the water with him, I realise how huge he is. He’s a real-life dinosaur.”
The rescue centre is owned by Arlie Hammonds and Gary Saurage and claims to be the largest alligator sanctuary in south-east Texas, home to more than 450 alligators, crocodiles and other reptiles.
The student’s photos have been better received than another alligator-related stunt from earlier this year. In March, Melody Kliebert posted a gender-reveal video, which showed an alligator biting into a watermelon to show a blue colour and, with that, the news that she was expecting a boy.
The Klieberts run an alligator farm, and countered criticism of the video by saying there were several trained alligator handlers available. The video has had more than 10m views on Facebook since it was first posted.
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/texas-student-makenzie-noland-alligator-photo-viral
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Florida’s Dragon Problem
Florida’s Dragon Problem
Huge monitor lizards have invaded the state, and the rest of the U.S. is one unlucky boatload away.
by Ed Yong
It’s also the largest lizard in Florida.
No one knows exactly when the monitor arrived in Florida, but it was first spotted in 1990. It was probably introduced as part of the pet trade. It then either escaped or was released by people who realized much too late that maybe a huge, intelligent, active, predatory lizard doesn’t make a great pet.
Once the monitors were free, events unfolded predictably. These lizards wander over large areas, grow quickly, breed at an early age, and lay up to 60 eggs in a single clutch—so their numbers quickly grew. They love water, and were drawn to the same waterfront properties that attract Florida home-owners. There are now three permanent breeding populations in the state, the largest of which includes more than 1,000 individuals.
To predict what the monitor lizard will do in the future, Stephanie Dowell from Fordham University decided to look at how it behaves in its native home. Together with her supervisor, self-confessed museum geek Evon Hekkala, Dowell sequenced the DNA of dozens of Nile monitors from all over Africa—both freshly caught individuals and those preserved in museum collections.
She found several surprises. A supposedly distinct species called the ornate monitor turned out to be the Nile monitor under a different name. So two lizards became one. But the canonical “Nile monitor” actually comprises three genetically distinct lineages from the west, north, and south of Africa. The western one should count as a distinct species: It separated from the others 7.7 million years ago and its genome differs by up to 9 percent, a far greater gulf than exists between us and chimpanzees. So one lizard became two again.
West Africa Nile monitor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Africa_Nile_monitor
The West Africa Nile monitor (Varanus stellatus) is a cryptic species of Polydaedalus monitor lizard from West Africa
The newly minted West African Nile monitor isn’t just genetically distinct, but also genetically narrow. Based on the similarities between different individuals, Dowell estimated that the lizard’s population crashed between 1,000 and 1,800 years ago. That coincides with the rapid expansion of the ancient Malian city of Djenné-Djenno—a major hub for trans-Saharan trade.Archaeological evidence confirmed that people were indeed catching and trading monitor lizards, probably for food. That’s why the lizard’s numbers plummeted.
Such exploitation continues today. Every year, around 500,000 Nile monitor skins are shipped around the world to be made into shoes, bags, and accessories. Another 10,000 live individuals are exported for the pet trade. And some of them have made their way to Florida.
When Dowell analyzed the DNA of 25 Florida monitors, caught by colleague Todd Campbell,
she found that all of them belong to the West African species. All are
descendants of lizards that had been captured somewhere between Liberia
and Cameroon and shipped across the Atlantic. This happened on at least
three separate occasions, giving rise to populations now living in Cape
Coral, West Palm Beach, and Homestead.
But the other species of Nile monitor is another matter. It can survive through the cold and frosty winters of southern Africa by hibernating. If it got into the U.S., Dowell’s simulations predict that it could make itself comfortable across the eastern and western seaboards, especially if the climate continues to warm.
“If, for example, we decided to crack down on the trade in West Africa, and the exploitation shifted to south Africa, that lineage could spread very quickly,” says Hekkala. “Its invasiveness is much greater. It is so pre-adapted to the North American climate that it could spread almost to Chicago, even without climate change.”
This scenario shows how important it is to stop the lizards from entering the country in the first place. “Once we figure out that a species is here, and there are multiple reports, it’s too late. We need to do a better job screening,” says Steve Johnson from the University of Florida. “We don’t do a good enough job as a state to regulate what’s coming in.”
He’s not wrong. Florida is the world’s number one hub for invasive reptiles and amphibians. It has several ports, a large population of potential pet-owners, and a warm, humid climate. Almost 140 alien species have made their home there, including cane toads, panther chameleons, Burmese pythons, giant tegu lizards, green anacondas, and tentacled snakes.
“Every bit of biological and ecological info we can get about a species in its native range takes us one step closer to coming up with a management strategy to control it in its introduced range,” says Johnson. “I don’t think we’ll ever eradicate Nile monitors from Florida but hopefully we can contain them.” And in the meantime, if you spot one, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission wants you to tell them about it on IveGot1.org (yes, really) or their IveGot1 app. And for pity’s sake, don’t try to capture one.
image:
Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/04/the-past-and-future-of-floridas-dragon-problem/478905/
WATCH LIVE: Crocodile on Florida beach | Monday, 20 November 2017
WATCH LIVE: Crocodile on Florida beach
Officials are trying to grab a crocodile that has been hanging out on a Hollywood, Florida beach.
Officials are trying to grab a crocodile that has been hanging out on a Hollywood, Florida beach.
CROC ON BEACH: Officials are trying to move a crocodile off the beach in Hollywood, Florida.
Crocodile interrupts beach day in South Florida
Crocodile interrupts beach day in South Florida
WHAT A CROC 🐊
Beachgoers in South Florida are being kept away from the water after 6-foot crocodile was spotted on the beach.
Crocodile at the beach: A crocodile is eluding trappers at Hollywood Beach in Florida. 🐊
Crocodile at the beach: A crocodile is eluding trappers at Hollywood Beach in Florida. 🐊
Crocodile on Hollywood, FL Beach
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer tries to capture a six-foot crocodile along Hollywood Beach near Johnson Street. After several attempts the crocodile was caught unharmed. The crocodile was first spottted near the Dania Beach pier, drifted south and came ashore near Margaritaville drawing large crowds of onlookers. The American crocodile has federal protection as a threatened species and is likely to be relocated to its natural habitat.
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