Alligators are using basic instincts to stay alive during frigid weather conditions.
With temperatures in Oklahoma below freezing for 10 straight days, the reptiles have been seen in waterways with only their snouts sticking out of the water, KXII reported.
David Arbour, an official with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, posted pictures to Facebook showing the gators frozen in the water at the Red Slough Wildlife Management Area in southeastern Oklahoma, poking their snouts into the air to breathe.
Young alligators icing at Red Slough WMA today.
Posted by David Arbour on Tuesday, February 16, 2021
The behavior is known as icing or snorkeling, KXII reported.
Alligators are cold-blooded animals and are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather because they are unable to regulate their body temperature.
When frigid weather arrives, alligators submerge most of their bodies in shallow water, according to Science Alert. The reptiles stick their snouts skyward to create a pocket of air from which to breathe.
The gators then go into brumation, which is similar to hibernation in mammals.
When temperatures climbing above freezing again, the alligators will resume their normal activities.
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