Social media videos of 'gatorcicles' draw big numbers as experts say the reptiles are alive and well
Online videos showing what appear to be dead alligators in frozen ponds in North Carolina and Texas have captured massive audiences.
Online videos showing what appear to be dead alligators in frozen ponds in North Carolina and Texas have captured massive audiences.
Employees at the gator rescue parks where the videos were recorded say the rarely witnessed behavior is a survival instinct displayed by the cold-blooded reptiles, which are actually alive and well.
George Howard, the general manager of The Swamp Park in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, said Wednesday that what viewers are seeing on social media is the reptilian behavior known as brumation.
Alligators rely on their environment for temperature regulation, according to the South Carolina Aquarium. During brumation, alligators' metabolic rates slow down, and they become lethargic, with periods of activity, according to the aquarium.
The Swamp Park posted pictures of alligators with their snouts sticking out of ice during brumation.
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