Giant alligator caught on Mississippi River

Researchers have captured, tagged and released a 2.4m, 136kg alligator, marking a remarkable recovery for the Mississippi Delta.

In a post on X and Bluesky, Dr. Solomon David and colleagues captured an alligator spatula (Atractosteus spatula) in the Mississippi River floodplain. The monster measured 240 cm long and weighed 136 kg. Photo: Dr. Solomon David.

Weighing 136kg, the gar was so large that it caused the research boat to capsize. However, Dr Solomon’s team managed to capture, tag and release it back into the wild. Photo: Dr Solomon David.

"This gator was absolutely huge. It was the longest gator I had ever seen and also the largest (in both girth and weight). It was exceptionally wide across with a huge head and body, unlike any other gator I had ever seen before," said Dr Solomon. Photo: Dr Solomon David.

According to Dr. Solomon, the shape of the jaw and fins suggest that the gator is likely very old. He estimates it is at least 50 years old but could be as old as 90. Gator gators grow very slowly after reaching 1.8m in length and can live for more than 100 years. Photo: ProjectManhattan.

The tagging and release of the alligators was part of a study on Mississippi River floodplain restoration. Alligators are a useful reference for assessing river-floodplain connectivity because they use the area for breeding, feeding, and raising young. Photo: HTCheng.

Dr Solomon said the crocodiles migrate to the floodplain as part of their life cycle, so finding large crocodiles at this site is a really good sign of river connectivity and restoration effectiveness. Photo: practamuin.

The giant alligator’s enormous size is due to the voracious appetite of all seven species of gar alive today. They can eat anything they can fit in their mouths but are vulnerable to changes in their environment. Photo: Paul Moine.

Alligators live in large rivers, lakes and coastal areas where abundant food sources help them grow to enormous sizes. They are considered typical living fossils. Photo: Paul Moine.

A living fossil is a species of animal alive today that has identical characteristics or phenotype to a species known only from the fossil record. Photo: wikimedia commons.

Readers are invited to watch the video : Discovering many new species in the Mekong River Region. Source: THĐT1.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/ca-sau-hoa-tien-khong-lo-bi-tom-gon-tren-song-mississippi-post2149067999.html