Telemetric heart rate measurement of a free ranging alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, indicates that submergence does not necessarily result in bradycardia. Pronounced bradycardia, typically from 31 to 2 bpm, resulted when the submerged alligator was approached by man. Attempts to induce bradycardia by human approach near a captive alligator, removed from the water, were unsuccessful. Nighttime activity of the free ranging animal involving short voluntary dives did not result in reduced heart rate.
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Smith et al. (1974) studied this question.
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