Alligator Attempts To Devour Smaller Rival In Jaw-Dropping Video

As active internet users, we frequently come across animal videos. Whether they are humorous, adorable, terrifying, disturbing, or anything else – we have come across a wide range of videos. If you’re interested in wild animals, you may already be familiar with their behaviours. But certain things manage to surprise you even if you are aware of their behavioural patterns. That is what happened with a recent viral video featuring an alligator.

The video, published on Instagram, begins with a marshland and an

alligator drifting off in a small stream of water. Soon after, it is seen clutching another small alligator with its mouth. The larger alligator eventually smashed the smaller reptile into the ground and didn’t let it get away.

“Bigger Alligator eating a smaller alligator,” read the caption accompanying the post.

Since being shared, the video had accumulated over 3 million views on the social media platform at the time of reporting. Some people in the comments were wondering why an animal would eat its own kind, while others left funny comments. But overall, everyone seemed fascinated by the video.

A user commented, “Why do they eat their own?” Another user humorously stated, “The slam was for the show. He knew he was being recorded.”

Meanwhile, another user made a wordplay joke, saying “Allibalism,” combining alligator and cannibalism. “Earth is just so fun,” commented another user.

If you’re still wondering why the larger alligator ate the smaller one, here’s the answer to satisfy your curiosity. Alligators are notoriously ferocious apex predators who are members of a handful of animals that practise cannibalism. Why? Biologists have a lot of theories. One popular theory is that they are reducing competition for food as well as other resources.

In addition to consuming one another to avoid starvation, adult alligators also engage in mating competition. The reason for this is that they are attempting to eliminate any other contenders that female alligators might find appealing.

Even while adult gators are occasionally the victims of cannibalism, the young gators are frequently the ones who suffer the most. They are devoured by their mothers when there is insufficient food or water, or when she is unable to care for them.

Male alligators have little to no empathy for their young, according to biologists; this may be due to multiple paternity. This means that female alligators can lay a group of eggs fertilised by different males. They thus frequently have trouble identifying which children are their own.