Alligators are one of those animals that will eat just about anything.
Like I’ve said before, if it’s edible they’ll eat it. If its not edible, they still might eat it.
That theory was proved correct by the stomach contents of two real big alligators recently taken by a hunters in Mississippi. Fortunately this time, the gators list of previous meals did not include a photography drone or any spark-plugs or disappearing dogs.
The big reptiles did have some interesting artifacts hidden deep inside their guts though.
According to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, Shane Smith, the owner of Red Antler Processing in Yazoo, City Mississippi had heard legends of the biggest gators usually having unusual items in their stomachs so he decided to take a closer look.
“We have been cutting into a few big gators to see what was in their stomach, everyone so far has had something cool in it. The 13 foot 5 inch gator brought in by John Hamilton today, produced the shock of the year!”
Inside of the first 13-foot 5-inch, 750-pound gator, he wound up finding a few objects he knew seemed unnatural, but he was unable to identify exactly what they were so he took photos and sought consultation with an expert.
He was shocked when he learned what he had found.
The Mississippi Department of Mapping and Environmental Quality determined that the broken stone arrowhead he discovered was actually a dart point from an atlatl. The relic dates back to 5,000 and 6,000 BC.
Atlatls are primitive weapons that launch spears with more velocity than humans can normally throw them otherwise.
The cupped shape on the upper end of point acts a lever to increase the speed of the spear is a telltale sign of arrowhead for an atlatl spear.
Inside of the gator was also another ancient artifact known as a plummet. Researchers have been unable to determine exactly what plummets were used for but they are made from iron oxide and closely resemble lead weights. The particular plummet inside of this gator is estimated to be about 3,800 years old.
Smith also examined the stomach contents of the second big gator.
The 13-foot 2-inch, 787-pound gator had an unused bullet inside of its gut.
“We found a bullet in it, and it had not been fired from a gun.
I don’t know how it got in there.”
Ricky Flynt, the Alligator Program Coordinator with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks confirmed that that gators oftentimes incidentally ingest random items off the bottom of rivers, ponds, and sloughs while they take in small rocks and other objects to line their stomachs and aid in digestion.
“Alligators, like other animals such as birds and other reptiles, are known for ingesting grit and rocks to help with digestion. We know alligators and crocodiles do that.
Sticks, wood, things they can’t digest get into their stomachs. I found a piece of cypress in an alligator’s stomach that was 15 inches long.”
