Alligator Feasting on Reptiles

The moment an alligator feasts on a lunch of turtle and snake. Nature photographer Gary Meyers was taking pictures of nesting birds in Jefferson Island, Louisiana, when the hungry reptile caught his attention. In a series of extraordinary - and graphic - photos, the beast crushes the turtle's shell with his teeth and wolfs its bloody carcass down its throat. Louisiana has the highest alligator population in the United States, around two million, according to the state's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. They can be found in the ponds, lakes, canals, bayous and swamps of Louisiana, where their habitat sprawls across 4.5million acres.  Males grow to around 13ft long and 500lb, and adults' diets consist of beavers, raccoons, large birds, snakes, turtles and even deer.

Photos via The Daily Mail

All photos credit: Gary Meyers