Alligator Diets In Relation To Marsh Salinity

Three hundred and fourteen large alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) collected in the marshes of southwest Louisiana in conjunction with 1972 and 1973 autumn hunting seasons were examined for food contents. Foods were categorized by year and by marsh type. Vertebrates were the most important foods consumed, of which mammals comprised the largest percentage by weight. Arthropods and fish were important foods in the more saline areas. Thirteen percent of the adult females contained alligator eggs or egg shells in their stomach.