Alligator eating snapping turtle at Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland, Florida. Snapping turtle struggles to survive in alligator’s jaws for more than two hours. I’m used to seeing alligators eat fish quickly, so this was unexpected. I kept hoping that somehow the turtle would escape. However, even with the turtle’s shell protecting vital organs, it would only be a matter of time before the gator’s bite force of around 2150 pounds per square inch would overcome it.
After sustaining severe trauma, snapping turtle is still moving its feet and tail which is likely a reflex action because spinal cord has not been severed. It’s not long after this that turtle finally succumbs to its injuries. The gator patiently works on its dinner three hours later as the sun sets and another large lurking gator makes its appearance startling gator.
There’s a brief chase and gator with turtle disappears into the darkness, while other gator remains on lookout. I’m not sure if second gator was in pursuit for the turtle or to protect its territory, but it looks like both gators avoided a fight and escaped injury. So unusual to see two large alligators up close at this lake, but maybe Hurricane Milton and the resulting higher lake water has confused them.
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