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Alligators brumate in frozen swamp
Alligators appear to be "frozen" in water at The Swam Park in North Carolina. The gators are alive and well and are in a state of brumation, which is a survival technique the animals use to survive such frigid temperatures. (Credit: The Swamp Park Outdoor Adventure Center/ Ocean Isle Beach N.C./ George Howard-General Manager)
See you later, alligator – or at least until you’ve thawed out.
Photos and videos shared by The Swamp Park in North Carolina showed their alligators "frozen" as temperatures dipped just enough for the surface of their swampy home to freeze.
Alligators are seen with just the tips of their noses sticking up through the water while the rest of their bodies remained under the icy surface.
Don’t fret, the alligators are safe and doing just fine, as this is a common survival technique these animals use during the colder months, according to The Swamp Park.
A more recent video showed one of the alligators slowly pushing its nose upward through the surface as the water began to melt.
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Alligators push nose through ice as they begin to thaw out
The alligators at The Swamp Park are seen beginning to thaw out and push through the melting ice. (Credit: The Swamp Park Outdoor Adventure Center/ Ocean Isle Beach N.C./ George Howard-General Manager)
"Day two and our gators are starting to ‘thaw’ out," The Swamp Park wrote on its Facebook page.
What is brumation?
Kind of like hibernation, alligators enter into a brumation state when water freezes.
"When alligators brumate, their metabolic rate slows down and they become lethargic," according to the South Carolina Aquarium.
Once they enter this period, they don’t eat but continue to drink to avoid dehydration.
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Brumation can last for about 4-5 months depending on how long the water temperatures remain cold.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.