A rare sight was spotted on Cat Island in South Carolina on Wednesday. An alligator was discovered lounging in a frozen pond.
BEAUFORT, S.C. – “See you later, alligator!” is often a phrase used in a rhyming scheme to say goodbye to someone in a fun way, but for an alligator in South Carolina, and many across the Deep South, they won’t be leaving their ponds anytime soon.
Video from Cat Island, South Carolina, just outside of Hilton Head, showed an alligator stuck in an icy pond after the South’s recent deep freeze, which brought a rare bout of ice and snow.
While the scene may seem worrisome with just the alligator visible above the pond’s icy waterline, experts say the behavior is a completely normal survival strategy.
“When temperatures drop significantly, alligators can enter a state called brumation – similar to hibernation,” officials in Beaufort, South Carolina explained. “They slow down their metabolism and become lethargic, allowing them to conserve energy when food is scarce. During a hard freeze, they often stick their snouts above the water to breathe, while the rest of their bodies become immobilized in the icy depths.”
Alligator spotted in frozen South Carolina pond during rare snowstorm
(@beaufort.southcarolina / FOX Weather)
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The National Weather Service office in nearby Charleston, South Carolina, reported that 2-4 inches of snow fell over the region, with temperatures dropping to the mid-20s.
A typical winter day across the region usually sees highs around 60 degrees, with lows dropping into the upper 40s.
When the mercury falls to these levels, the reptiles’ biological processes begin to kick in until sunny days with temperatures in the 70s return.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, alligators in colder climates are inactive from October to March, as brumation processes take over.
The reptiles can survive an entire year without food and, under certain circumstances, can live much longer without hunting for prey.
Lakes and swamps from Texas through Louisiana and the Carolinas are rarely covered by ice, but it does occasionally happen during colder winters.
South Carolina snowfall totals
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Despite similar scenes in other states, wildlife organizations have not reported coming across any distressed alligators but do report tending to the needs of other animals such as manatees and sea turtles, who also need warmer weather.
“So, if you happen to see one of our cold-blooded friends frozen in time, don’t worry! They’re just taking a break until the sun warms things up,” South Carolina officials said.
Due to the climate and terrain, it’s estimated there are only around 100,000 alligators in Palmetto State, with more than 10 times the amount existing in Florida and Louisiana.