After watching episode 5 of True Blood, “Me and the Devil”, National Geographic wanted to know if alligators really like eating marshmallows. In the episode, Tommy (Marshall Allman) kills his parents. With the help of his brother Sam (Sam Trammell), he throws their bodies in the water. When the bodies do not sink, Sam throws some marshmallows in, which attracts the alligators. National Geographic got in contact with Captain Jack Sessions of Honey Island Swamp Tours who has a website that mentions rewarding alligators with marshmallows. National Geographic also spoke with Michael Delany, a research biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In the interviews Sessions and Dr. Delany were asked a series of questions, for instance Sessions was asked:
“Captain Jack, we were watching True Blood and one of the characters baited up alligators with marshmallows. Do alligators like marshmallows?”
Sessions answered:
“Yeah they do. No doubt about that. That’s a true story there. I go out and call them, bup bup bup bup bup bup – a mating call, you know. And sometimes, when they start coming, you toss them a marshmallow. Then they hang around and we give them a hot dog or two on a stick.”
National Geographic asked Dr. Delaney:
“Dr. Delany, have you ever heard of people feeding marshmallows to alligators?”
His response:
“I have heard of people feeding marshmallows to alligators, although feeding alligators is against the law.”
He was then asked:
“Is there something special about marshmallows that alligators just can’t get enough of?”
He answered:
“No. No. Not at all. It’s usually that alligators have grown accustomed to being around people and maybe accustomed to being fed. A person then throwing anything into the water the alligator will then associate it with food regardless of what it is.”
You can read the whole article by clicking on this link.
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Source: newswatch.nationalgeographic.com - The Truth About “True Blood’s” Marshmallow-Eating Gators
(Photo credit: HBO, Inc.)
