From there, researchers painstakingly filtered through the contents of the alligators' stomachs to try to identify what the animals had eaten. (James Nifong)Researchers documented evidence that the alligators had consumed three new species of sharks and one new species of stingray, Nifong said. Nifong said more research is needed to determine whether alligators were consuming sharks in greater numbers and why. He found historical reports of clashes between sharks and alligators back in the late 1800s, but he said their interactions may have increased in recent years as a result of development. Nifong, a Florida native, is on a year-long appointment as a postdoctoral researcher with the Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Kansas State University.

Source: Washington Post October 17, 2017 18:28 UTC