Beaufort, SC – “See you later, alligator!” Is often a phrase that is used in a rhyme scheme to say goodbye to someone in a funny way, but for an alligator in South Carolina and for many in the deep south you will not leave your ponds so quickly .
A video by Cat Island, South Carolina, just outside of Hilton Head, showed an alligator who stuck in an ice-cold pond after there was a rare ice and snow in the south.
Even if the scene may seem worrying if only the alligator is visible above the icy waterline of the pond, experts say that this behavior is a completely normal survival strategy.
“If the temperatures drop significantly, alligators can pass into a so-called brumation state-similar to hibernation,” said civil servant in Beaufort, South Carolina. “They slow down their metabolism and become lethargic, so that they can save energy in the event of a shortage of food. With strong frost, you often stretch your snout over the water to breathe, while the rest of your body remains unable to move in the icy deep. ”
During a rare snowstorm, an alligator was sighted in the frozen pond of South Carolina
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The National Weather Service office in nearby Charleston, South Carolina, reported that 2 to 4 inches fell over the region and the temperatures fell to mid -20 degrees.
On a typical winter day in the region, the maximum temperatures are around 60 degrees, the low temperatures are over 40 degrees.
When the mercury drops to these values, the biological processes of the reptiles begin to get started until sunny days return with temperatures around the 1970s.
According to the Texas Park and Wildlife Department, alligators in colder climates are inactive from October to March, since Brumation processes win the upper hand.
The reptiles can survive a whole year without food and, under certain circumstances, also live significantly longer without hunting for prey.
Lakes and swamps from Texas to Louisiana and the Carolinas are rarely covered by ice, but it occurs occasionally in colder winters.
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Despite similar scenes in other states, wildlife organizations have not reported that they have come across needy alligators, but report that they take care of the needs of other animals such as sea kows and sea turtles that also need warmer weather.
“So if you happen to see one of our cold -blooded friends staying standing, don't worry! They only take a break until the sun heats things, ”said officials from South Carolina.
Due to the climate and the site, there are estimated only about 100,000 alligators in the Palmetto State, with the number in Florida and Louisiana more than ten times as high.
Original source of the article: Frozen alligator in the pond of South Carolina spotted during a rare snowstorm in the south