Alligators as Predators on Terrestrial Mammals

Past investigations of endangered Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) and Georgia barrier island deer populations have not identified predators. Our observations on Cumberland Island, Georgia, revealed regular predation on deer and other mammals by large (>1.8 m total length) alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). Alligator fecal samples and gut contents, and observations of mammalian carcasses in alligator holes showed that terrestrial mammals composed a significant proportion of large alligator diets. Such regular feeding on terrestrial mammals may affect terrestrial community structure. The ecological importance of large numbers of adult alligators has not been stressed, perhaps because numbers were reduced prior to modern ecological studies. Alligator harvest programs target large individuals, thereby continually modifying both size structure of alligator populations and the potential impact of alligators on terrestrial community structure.