How alligators in North Carolina’s Ocean Isle Beach defy winter chill

Alligators preserve energy by slowing down their internal activities, allowing them to survive long periods at low temperatures.

A few days later, the ice melted, and temperatures returned to the 60s and 70s again.

When it comes to survival mechanisms during hard winter conditions, alligators in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, have been observed thriving even as temperatures plummet in the area.

This extraordinary phenomenon can be seen at The Swamp Park where alligators take to brumation as they lower their metabolic rates and enter a state of near-immobility. The adaptation allows them to live with their bodies nearly completely buried and covered in ice, with only their snouts visible above the frozen surface.

Onlookers have been surprised by the hardiness of these cold-blooded reptiles. If you’re looking for a scientific explanation, @wealth’s Instagram post says brumation is a “type of dormancy similar to hibernation, allowing them to breathe through the ice with just their snouts exposed”.

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Under this state, alligators preserve energy by slowing down their internal activities, allowing them to survive long periods at low temperatures without requiring frequent food intake. While brumation is not unique to alligators, the sight of these reptiles surviving in a frozen state is a rare and fascinating occurrence.

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One of the users wrote, “This happens every year. In fact this is how they’ve survived since they’ve existed.” A second added humour and said, “Going to feel like a brand new Gator!!” Meanwhile, a third user said, “When the water thaws out, he’s gonna eat everything moving!”.

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