What is happening:
Due to the recent cold front throughout the south, a testament to adaptation is the “gator-cicle”. This is a phenomenon where gators are trapped with their snout above frozen water. Equally fascinating and uncomfortable, these gators are everywhere. From North Carolina to Texas there have been many reports of Alligators living in frozen water due to last month’s cold front which brought an amount of cold not seen in years.
According to www.newsobserver.com, “The rarely witnessed adaptation allows alligators to survive cold snaps while frozen in place. Passersby see only snouts and teeth – really big teeth – sticking out of the murky ice.”
Why it’s happening:
Alligators endure through a process called “brumation”. Brumation is a form of hibernation for reptiles. Adam E. Rosenblatt, a bio professor at the University of Florida (makes sense) says that they basically shut down their metabolism in order to not starve. The gator sticks their nose above the water to breathe. These gators survive the deep freeze, and they are alright. Once the temperatures rise above freezing, the gators are seen swimming in unfrozen waters again.