well personally I just seemed like it’d be a lot of fun to work with alligators
be a lot of fun to work with alligators
be a lot of fun to work with alligators I mean they’re these prehistoric
I mean they’re these prehistoric
I mean they’re these prehistoric dinosaur looking beasts but we’ve been
dinosaur looking beasts but we’ve been
dinosaur looking beasts but we’ve been approached by a number of researchers
approached by a number of researchers
approached by a number of researchers over the years who wanted to do career
over the years who wanted to do career
over the years who wanted to do career cam work – to learn more about
cam work – to learn more about
cam work – to learn more about alligators and this after a number of
alligators and this after a number of
alligators and this after a number of trials and experiments with captive
trials and experiments with captive
trials and experiments with captive alligators the project of James down in
alligators the project of James down in
alligators the project of James down in Florida was sort of our reel into the
Florida was sort of our reel into the
Florida was sort of our reel into the field serious scientific research
field serious scientific research
field serious scientific research expedition so we study in two locations
expedition so we study in two locations
expedition so we study in two locations NASA and that’s you know Cape Canaveral
NASA and that’s you know Cape Canaveral
NASA and that’s you know Cape Canaveral and the graters Merritt Island Wildlife
and the graters Merritt Island Wildlife
and the graters Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge and the second location was a
Refuge and the second location was a
Refuge and the second location was a shallow s Tryon impoundment up and just
shallow s Tryon impoundment up and just
shallow s Tryon impoundment up and just north of st. Augustine so there’s a
north of st. Augustine so there’s a
north of st. Augustine so there’s a variety of methods you can use catch
variety of methods you can use catch
variety of methods you can use catch alligators we try to really minimize the
alligators we try to really minimize the
alligators we try to really minimize the stress and impact on of alligator when
stress and impact on of alligator when
stress and impact on of alligator when we capture it just because we’re doing
we capture it just because we’re doing
we capture it just because we’re doing this for research and we don’t want to
this for research and we don’t want to
this for research and we don’t want to injure the animal or you know stress it
injure the animal or you know stress it
injure the animal or you know stress it out or anything like that as we’ve
out or anything like that as we’ve
out or anything like that as we’ve experimented and considered doing critic
experimented and considered doing critic
experimented and considered doing critic and work with alligators and other
and work with alligators and other
and work with alligators and other crocodilians over the years we’ve tried
crocodilians over the years we’ve tried
crocodilians over the years we’ve tried to think of good ways to attach the
to think of good ways to attach the
to think of good ways to attach the critter cam now they got this rough
critter cam now they got this rough
critter cam now they got this rough knobbly skin there’s no good easy way
knobbly skin there’s no good easy way
knobbly skin there’s no good easy way for glues or suction cups like these on
for glues or suction cups like these on
for glues or suction cups like these on whales or anything else the best idea
whales or anything else the best idea
whales or anything else the best idea that we could think of was some sort of
that we could think of was some sort of
that we could think of was some sort of harness almost where they wear it like a
harness almost where they wear it like a
harness almost where they wear it like a backpack and so I worked with James and
backpack and so I worked with James and
backpack and so I worked with James and we worked out an idea with just a simple
we worked out an idea with just a simple
we worked out an idea with just a simple thin single strap that would hold the
thin single strap that would hold the
thin single strap that would hold the critter cam on it would be easy to
critter cam on it would be easy to
critter cam on it would be easy to release because it was a single piece
release because it was a single piece
release because it was a single piece and we would be able to use a simple
and we would be able to use a simple
and we would be able to use a simple cotton webbing
cotton webbing
cotton webbing which we could let go and it wasn’t
which we could let go and it wasn’t
which we could let go and it wasn’t something we invested a lot of time and
something we invested a lot of time and
something we invested a lot of time and effort and money and making that harness
effort and money and making that harness
effort and money and making that harness so that one strap if it cut it could
so that one strap if it cut it could
so that one strap if it cut it could drop and we wouldn’t care about getting
drop and we wouldn’t care about getting
drop and we wouldn’t care about getting it back and we used organic cotton
it back and we used organic cotton
it back and we used organic cotton materials so we wouldn’t be leaving
materials so we wouldn’t be leaving
materials so we wouldn’t be leaving anything unpleasant in the environment
anything unpleasant in the environment
anything unpleasant in the environment [Music]
they are reptiles they are as what’s
they are reptiles they are as what’s called cold-blooded they don’t they’re
called cold-blooded they don’t they’re
called cold-blooded they don’t they’re not highly active like a mammal would be
not highly active like a mammal would be
not highly active like a mammal would be and they are sit and white predators a
and they are sit and white predators a
and they are sit and white predators a lot of the time we did get some hunting
lot of the time we did get some hunting
lot of the time we did get some hunting now it’s not as dramatic as some people
now it’s not as dramatic as some people
now it’s not as dramatic as some people might want to hope we didn’t see them
might want to hope we didn’t see them
might want to hope we didn’t see them taking down deer or the wild pigs but we
taking down deer or the wild pigs but we
taking down deer or the wild pigs but we got a lot of feeding on smaller animals
got a lot of feeding on smaller animals
got a lot of feeding on smaller animals no one has ever documented in this level
no one has ever documented in this level
no one has ever documented in this level of detail the the feeding rates of these
of detail the the feeding rates of these
of detail the the feeding rates of these alligators in their natural environment
alligators in their natural environment
alligators in their natural environment and there are apparently a lot of small
and there are apparently a lot of small
and there are apparently a lot of small items with a little fish or frogs or
items with a little fish or frogs or
items with a little fish or frogs or some little items sometimes we can’t
some little items sometimes we can’t
some little items sometimes we can’t tell but they seem to be eating quite a
tell but they seem to be eating quite a
tell but they seem to be eating quite a lot of small things and that’s important
lot of small things and that’s important
lot of small things and that’s important to know for their behavior they’re in
to know for their behavior they’re in
to know for their behavior they’re in ecology to understand their role in
ecology to understand their role in
ecology to understand their role in their environment and what they need to
their environment and what they need to
their environment and what they need to survive well there’s one video we were
survive well there’s one video we were
survive well there’s one video we were looking at months later and watching the
looking at months later and watching the
looking at months later and watching the standard view alligators the surface
standard view alligators the surface
standard view alligators the surface we’re looking out over its head that’s
we’re looking out over its head that’s
we’re looking out over its head that’s sitting there and it kind of dips to the
sitting there and it kind of dips to the
sitting there and it kind of dips to the side a little bit oddly a couple times
side a little bit oddly a couple times
side a little bit oddly a couple times and dips the other side and and that
and dips the other side and and that
and dips the other side and and that kind of the view kind of tips and it
kind of the view kind of tips and it
kind of the view kind of tips and it goes upside down and you see it land on
goes upside down and you see it land on
goes upside down and you see it land on the bottom upside down this was an
the bottom upside down this was an
the bottom upside down this was an individual that actually had a portion
individual that actually had a portion
individual that actually had a portion of his tail missing and so we called it
of his tail missing and so we called it
of his tail missing and so we called it stubby was his name and poor stubby was
stubby was his name and poor stubby was
stubby was his name and poor stubby was in some pretty rough water and we think
in some pretty rough water and we think
in some pretty rough water and we think it actually passed out for a minute just
it actually passed out for a minute just
it actually passed out for a minute just from getting jostled around and it sank
from getting jostled around and it sank
from getting jostled around and it sank to the bottom rested on its back and
to the bottom rested on its back and
to the bottom rested on its back and then swam back up to the surface no
then swam back up to the surface no
then swam back up to the surface no worse for the wear but yeah it was
worse for the wear but yeah it was
worse for the wear but yeah it was pretty interesting to see that a
pretty interesting to see that a
pretty interesting to see that a narcoleptic alligator
narcoleptic alligator
narcoleptic alligator I just want to thank Crittercam team for
I just want to thank Crittercam team for
I just want to thank Crittercam team for offering me this opportunity to explore
offering me this opportunity to explore
offering me this opportunity to explore you know the life of alligators you know
you know the life of alligators you know
you know the life of alligators you know in absence of humans is really a fun and
in absence of humans is really a fun and
in absence of humans is really a fun and interesting experience and we really
interesting experience and we really
interesting experience and we really gained a lot of knowledge from it and I
gained a lot of knowledge from it and I
gained a lot of knowledge from it and I just really want to you know acknowledge
just really want to you know acknowledge
just really want to you know acknowledge the they really facilitated it and
the they really facilitated it and
the they really facilitated it and helped out
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