'Gatorcicles' and Brumating Alligators: Surviving Freezing Temperatures
Videos of frozen alligators, dubbed "gatorcicles," have gone viral in South Carolina as temperatures dropped, showing the reptiles with only their snouts protruding from frozen ponds. The alligators are not dead but are using an evolutionary technique called brumation to survive the cold weather, slowing down their metabolic rate and becoming lethargic. This phenomenon is not limited to South Carolina, as similar sightings have been reported in Texas following a drop in temperatures.