Otter Kills And Eats Alligator [Photos]

An otter killed and ate an alligator at the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Geoff Walsh witnessed and photographed the unusual attack in 2011. However, the photos were recently made available to the public.

Last weekend, a similarly unusual attack was captured on film at Queensland Lake in Lake Moondarra, Australia. As reported by Huffington Post, a 10-foot python battled a 3-foot crocodile for nearly five hours. Although both reptiles were exhausted, the python eventually killed and swallowed the crocodile whole.

Tiffany Corlis witnessed the event and took several photos. She describes the epic battle:

“We saw the snake fighting with the crocodile — it would roll the crocodile around to get a better grip, and coil its body around the crocodile’s legs to hold it tight… After the crocodile had died, the snake uncoiled itself, came around to the front, and started to eat the crocodile, face-first.”

After examining the photos, the snake was identified as an olive python and its opponent was identified as a Johnson’s crocodile. Although witnesses were stunned by the display and the photos are incredible, biologists said the attack was not unique.

Bryan Fry, with the University of Queensland’s School of Biological Science, said “crocs are more dangerous to catch but easier to sneak up on.” Fry explained that it will be at least a month before the python begins looking for its next meal.

Although pythons and crocodiles are both fierce predators, it is difficult to imagine an otter could kill an alligator. However, North American River Otters are predators as well.

The Northeast Florida Group reports that river otters are small but cunning creatures. They can reach lengths of four-foot-long and usually weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. Hunting at night, river otters usually feed on small animals, including fish, crayfish, frogs, and mollusks.

For river otters, stalking, capturing, and consuming prey, is like a game:

“When it hunts, a river otter is rather playful with live prey. The otter is known to wrestle, chase, and instigate a game of catch and release… “

Although they look harmless, river otters are apex predators in their freshwater habitats, as humans are their only predator.

In the attack witnessed at the wildlife refuge, the otter apparently snuck up on the young alligator and grabbed it from behind. The witness said the otter eventually subdued the alligator before dragging it to the shore. Although it is clear that the otter killed the alligator, Walsh did not witness the otter eating the alligator. He said “crunching noises” from the shore indicated the alligator’s fate.

[Images via Facebook, courtesy of Geoff Walsh]