#HTE

Alligators Frozen Alive in Ice in North Carolina Demonstrate Old-School Survival Technique

Holy COW this is creepy. It’s been so cold here on the East Coast that North Carolina’s Shallotte River Swamp has frozen over, encasing the alligators in ice. 

But as it turns out, ‘gators have a survival mechanism to deal with this:

So here’s what they’re doing, according to the Miami Herald:

The alligators seem to instinctively know when the water is about to freeze, says [George] Howard, who is general manager of [Shallotte River Swamp Park]. They respond by sticking their nose above the surface at just the right moment, allowing the water to freeze around them.

Alligators then enter “a state of brumation, like hibernating.” Alligators can regulate their body temperature in all sorts of weather, park officials said, and can essentially remain frozen in place until the ice melts.

By the way, for those of you who have trouble telling alligators and crocodiles apart, here’s how you can tell the difference: