Florida resident Alex Figuero caught the shocking event on camera at the Circle B Bar Reserve, a protected natural area in Central Florida.
Florida resident Alex Figuero caught the shocking event on camera at the Circle B Bar Reserve, a protected natural area in Central Florida.
While cannibalism might seem like an unusual behavior, it is actually not all that rare in alligators. A study conducted in 2011 showed that baby alligators have roughly a 1 in 16 chance of being eating by their elders.
And it’s not only alligators — many animals are cannibals. In nature, where the name of the game is survival, eating members of one’s species can in fact be a shrewd strategy.
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For some species, babies are on the menu. Take the African lion. When a young male takes over a pride, it will kill and sometimes eat some of the cubs. By killing cubs, the male is encouraging the females to go back into heat, also known as estrus. It is all part of a strategy that will give the new male a chance to mate and have his own babies.
Members of some other species have an appetite for their mates. A classic example of this fatal attraction is the praying mantis. The female sometimes begins gnawing on the male’s head during mating, and then proceeds to bite it clean off and, of course, devour his corpse. This snack provides the female with nourishment that will help her offspring survive.
Cannibalism can also be a useful way to eliminate competitors. Some tiger salamander larvae are born cannibalistic. This behavior only develops in those that are exposed to extremely crowded conditions. But salamander cannibals won’t eat just anyone — they are known to spare their siblings. After all, there is no need kill someone carrying some of your own genetic material when there are plenty of tasty strangers nearby.
The animal kingdom is full of examples of cannibalism, though the reasons behind it vary widely across species. It just goes to show that it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. (Not literally. Cannibalism in dogs is exceedingly rare.)
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