Death roll of the alligator: mechanics of twist feeding in water
@article{Fish2007DeathRO, title={Death roll of the alligator: mechanics of twist feeding in water}, author={Frank E. Fish and Sandra A Bostic and Anthony J. Nicastro and John T. Beneski}, journal={Journal of Experimental Biology}, year={2007}, volume={210}, pages={2811 - 2818} }
SUMMARY Crocodilians, including the alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), perform a spinning maneuver to subdue and dismember prey. The spinning maneuver, which is referred to as the `death roll', involves rapid rotation about the longitudinal axis of the body. High-speed videos were taken of juvenile alligators (mean length=0.29 m) performing death rolls in water after biting onto a pliable target. Spinning was initiated after the fore- and hindlimbs were appressed against the body and the…
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