Alligators renew freaky behavior of freezing themselves in NC swamp with noses out

Alligators in one eastern North Carolina swamp have proven it was no fluke last winter, when they survived a cold snap by freezing themselves in place with their noses above the ice.

It happened again Monday at The Swamp Park, only this time more -- and bigger -- alligators joined in, says park manager George Howard, who posted a video Tuesday. The video has been viewed nearly 6,000 times in the past day.

“All our alligators in ice here,” Howard says in the video. “Eighteen American alligators are thinking ahead, as they poke their noses through the ice.”

Swamp waters in the 65-acre park froze Monday evening and stayed frozen all day Tuesday, Howard said.

Alligators renew freaky behavior of freezing themselves in NC swamp with noses out

This is interesting. I didn't hear about this when it happened last year. I always thought that there were no alligators up north because of the cold weather. That could still be true. They are cold blooded, their body does not make any heat. There are snakes up north and they are cold blooded, so who knows.

This is called brumation, it is kind like hibernating. They stay in a state of brumation until the water thaws. Somehow they know when to stick their nose out of the ice before they freeze.

obviously this species has been through a cold spell before

a reply to: toysforadults

True, they survived the meteor that killed the dinosaurs and they also survived at least one ice age.

I know we have the brain power as our main survival mechanism, but when I see things like this in the animal kingdom I just think it seems so much more bad ass, I mean I wouldn't swap, but it's still very cool!

a reply to: toysforadults

Amazing stuff, saw this last year. This is eastern Carolinas Makes you wonder just how far north these reptiles could get. Been scattered reports of a single alligator in the Chattahoochee river just north of Atlanta before and a few of our lakes just crazy LOL. That damn Betty White is feeding them.

Still what keeps the cells from freezing and bursting?, got to have an anti freeze component in the blood and or tissue cells. LOL .Can you freeze solid an alligator and rewarm it and bring it back, ie how cold and for how long can they survive.

this could replace the old saying shooting fish in a barrel

as easy as catching a frozen gator

American alligators are still rebounding from when they were hunted down to near extinction, so they may still be reclaiming the far northern extent of their natural range.

And as was mentioned, these are an ancient species, crocodilians. Who knows what survival instincts are hardwired into them? Their ancestors were there with the dinosaurs and have survived climate upheavals like we can only freak out and try to tax ourselves into oblivion over.

I mean there is a reason why they are one of the oldest surviving species on our planet. Brumation is pretty much the reptile equivalent of hibernation. I'm not sure that it's some recent discovery.

a reply to: putnam6

This is eastern Carolinas Makes you wonder just how far north these reptiles could get.

This is the dismal swamp/Alligator River Wildlife Refugee area — tons of biomass and these gators are using the latent heat release from the underlying, decomposing biomass to buffer that cold-bloodness.

Tough place to navigate but beautiful ecology.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

I think those gators are going to be just fine...



It is amazing how clever these animals are, lets just hope they don't figure out how to grow an opposable digit.

Maybe the just might take over

a reply to: RealityIsAbsurdx

I just have never seen it in action with such a large reptile and so far north. While small population could live, stuff I've read think breeding populations farther north are difficult to maintain because of egg temps needing to be stable and above a certain temp or you get all females. Still question remains how cold can they survive, and for how long?

originally posted by: putnam6
a reply to: RealityIsAbsurdx

I just have never seen it in action with such a large reptile and so far north. While small population could live, stuff I've read think breeding populations farther north are difficult to maintain because of egg temps needing to be stable and above a certain temp or you get all females. Still question remains how cold can they survive, and for how long?

The mounds they build are decomposing vegetation. That creates heat and the gators tend to pee on the nests to help that process along.

So long as the season remains warm enough, long enough. The temp for eggs is helped out just fine.

originally posted by: hubrisinxs
a reply to: LookingAtMars

I think those gators are going to be just fine...

It is amazing how clever these animals are, lets just hope they don't figure out how to grow an opposable digit.

Maybe the just might take over

Much better then watching Swamp People kill alligators!

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: putnam6
a reply to: RealityIsAbsurdx

I just have never seen it in action with such a large reptile and so far north. While small population could live, stuff I've read think breeding populations farther north are difficult to maintain because of egg temps needing to be stable and above a certain temp or you get all females. Still question remains how cold can they survive, and for how long?

The mounds they build are decomposing vegetation. That creates heat and the gators tend to pee on the nests to help that process along.

So long as the season remains warm enough, long enough. The temp for eggs is helped out just fine.

Well not to be that guy but of course if the egg laying season stays warm enough long enough, thats the point. Obviously once they stopped the over hunting in Florida, the population began to expand and push further north,now they are talking about getting as far north as coastal Virginia.

Understand about their nest and warmth from decomposing vegetation ,talking about the ones in the water with their snouts through the ice. Again it seems like it only gets cold enough for that a few days or weeks, LOL guess what I am saying can they remain snouts up frozen weeks at a time. I would assume its limited or they would be even further spread out and there would be gators in the many lakes and streams throughout GA and NC.