Rosenblatt agrees: “Gators are known to congregate in large groups occasionally to feed on abundant prey, and sharks are known to do the same thing, so it's certainly possible that large-scale interactions would take place between the two." While these historical accounts were “definitely embellished”-probably to exaggerate the number and size of the animals involved-“the fact remains these were definitely observations of alligator-elasmobranch interactions," Nifong says. ( See a National Geographic interactive of sharks, lords of the sea.) In the days after the battle, beaches as far as 80 miles away were littered with carcasses of both species, according to The Fishing Gazette, a sports magazine at the time. Hundreds of sharks, sensing potential prey, followed. In the most bizarre instance, in 1877, hundreds of American alligators congregated in an inlet near Jupiter, Florida, attracted by fish trapped by the high tide. Perhaps most interesting are the several accounts Nifong uncovered of sharks attacking large groups of alligators. There are even some crocodilian fossils that show bite marks from ancient sharks, hinting that these predators have been enemies since the Late Cretaceous period. (Read " How Nile Crocodiles Are Bigger and Badder Than Alligators.") What is this jaguar stalking for its next meal?Īnd in South Africa, one Nile crocodile was found with the remains of two unidentified shark species in its belly. Similarly, a study published earlier this year found that more than half of the freshwater sawfish sampled in Western Australia sported scars inflicted by freshwater crocodiles. In Australia, people have witnessed saltwater crocodiles going into the surf to hunt bull sharks. “It all turns into one big pile of indistinguishable stuff, except for certain body parts like hair and shells.” Ancient EnemiesĮlsewhere in the world, there are several observations of crocodilians-a group that includes alligators, crocodiles, and caimans-duking it out with elasmobranchs. “Most prey gators eat turn to mush pretty quickly within their stomachs,” he says. Probably not, says Rosenblatt, who is all too familiar with picking through alligator vomit. Still, alligator researchers have a method for examining the stomach contents of live alligators-a sort of cross between a stomach pump and the Heimlich maneuver-so shouldn’t there be more evidence of sharks in gator guts?
(" Watch: Alligators' Hunting Secrets Revealed by Crittercams.") What's more, gators consume sharks that are quite a bit smaller than Jaws, and so the fish may look like just any other to the average onlooker.
There are a few reasons why observations of shark-gator showdowns are scarce.įor starters, both animals are tough to follow and observe in their coastal habitats, says Adam Rosenblatt, an ecologist at the University of North Florida who studies alligators. “So, when presented with a potential opportunity to feed, they are not likely to pass it up.” Shark Vs. Unauthorized use is prohibited.īoth "are known for their extreme eating habits, and both are highly opportunistic predators,” says Nifong, whose findings were published in the most recent issue of the peer-reviewed journal Southeastern Naturalist.