Abstract of Thesis Presented to the Graduate School
 of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the
 Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science

 DIET AND CONDITION OF AMERICAN ALLIGATORS (Alligator mississippiensis)
 INT THREE CENTRAL FLORIDA LAKES

 By

 Amanda Nicole Rice

 May 2004

Chair: H. Franklin Percival
Major Department: Natural Resources and Environment

 Understanding the diet of crocodilians is important because diet affects condition,

behavior, growth, and reproduction. By examining the diet of crocodilians, valuable

knowledge is gained about predator-prey interactions and prey utilization among habitats.

In this study, I examined the diet and condition of adult American alligators (Alligator

mississippiensis) in three central Florida lakes, Griffin, Apopka, and Woodruff. Two

hundred adult alligators were captured and lavaged from March through October 2001,

from April through October 2002, and from April through August 2003.

 Alligators ate a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate prey, but vertebrates were

more abundant and fish dominated alligator diets in the lakes. Species composition of

Eish varied among the lakes. The majority of the diet of alligators from Lakes Apopka

and Woodruff was fish, 90% and 84% respectively. Lake Apopka alligators consumed a

significantly (P = 0.006) higher proportion of Esh in their diet. Fish were 54% of the diet

of Lake Griffin alligators and the infrequent occurrence of reptiles, mammals, birds, and