A record shared by the Gator Country park, in Texas, in the USA, shows an alligator apparently frozen and with its snout out of the water. Gary Saurage, who works at the reptile rescue center, says in the video that the behavior is part of the animal's hibernation in cold regions.
“Brumation is the reptile and amphibian equivalent of hibernation; Essentially, alligators slow their heart rate to a few beats per minute and enter a state of torpor,” explains Jonathan Warner, Alligator Program Leader at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Warner further clarifies that the animals are not frozen and that they need to keep their nostrils out of the water to be able to breathe: “The behavior in question is generally referred to as a 'freeze' response, and as alligators occupy more northern latitudes in comparison with other species of crocodilians, they have some impressive adaptations to survive colder temperatures”, explains the expert.
Another interesting fact is that alligators do not hunt before entering the brumation state, as they cannot regulate their metabolism internally, therefore “they usually fast before a cold snap so that the meal does not remain indigestible in the stomach.”
Finally, Warner further details that the phenomenon that leaves them “frozen” is generally observed in shallow waters with a hard surface or in artificial reservoirs, otherwise most wild alligators would choose to take shelter under a dike or similar cavity, where there is an adequate air pocket and more stable temperatures that do not require rigid torpor.
Source: CNN Brasil
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