Updated 21 February 2021 at 12:22 IST
Alligators use unusual method to survive in icy water and freezing temperatures
The cold-blooded alligators adhere to an unusual method of survival by being frozen in the icy water with snouts sticking out of the surface. See pictures.
In yet another notable example of adaptation among living beings, there is a unique and bizarre way of young alligators tackling the winter storms that have battered the United States this week. The cold-blooded alligators adhere to an unusual method of survival by being frozen in the water with snouts sticking out of the surface. The images of these animals ‘icing’ have been posted on Facebook by David Arbour who is an employee at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. ‘Icing’ the basic way for alligators to breathe even while being submerged in freezing temperatures. However, many perceive that the animals look dead in the photos even though they are surviving.
Image credits: David Arbour/Facebook
All about ‘icing’
The ‘icing’ response is tied to brumation which is the reptile version of a mammal’s hibernation. When temperatures get alarmingly low, the animals lower their metabolic rates including becoming lethargic and keeping their snouts above the water. This enables the alligators to survive brief periods of freezing weather.
Because alligators are cold-blooded, they mainly depend on the external environments for temperature regulation. This implies that cold weather is not favourable to their survival. In a comment, David Arbour, who posted several posted, explained, “The gators won't freeze if the water stays liquid...Their snouts are just cartilage so freezing doesn't hurt their snouts ... They can still move and are aware of things."
While alligators resort to ‘icing’, wood frogs are able to freeze solid and their hearts also stops to beat. Meanwhile, red bats leave their elevated roosts while hitting the ground in freezing weather and covering themselves with leaves like a blanket. Along with ‘icing’, there’s another cool thing about alligators that they are able to regrow their tails. A recent study has revealed that young alligators have the ability to regrow their tails up to three-quarters of a foot or 18 per cent of their total body length just like lizards.
Published By : Aanchal Nigam
Published On: 21 February 2021 at 12:22 IST