Florida Park Welcomes Rare White Alligator In Time For Christmas
"It is absolutely extraordinary."
The alligator capital of the world is celebrating a white Christmas this year after welcoming a leucistic white alligator to its impressive list of reptiles.
Gatorland - a 110-acre theme park in Orlando, Florida announced the birth in a release and said the birth means it now has the largest collection of rare leucistic alligators in the world.
Leucism is an “abnormal condition of reduced pigmentation affecting various animals that is marked by overall pale color or patches of reduced coloring,” according to Merriam-Webster.
Leucistic alligators are the rarest genetic variation in the American alligator, according to a release from Gatorland. Leucism in alligators causes white coloration, but unlike albino alligators, which have a complete loss of pigment and pink eyes, they often have patches or splotches of normal coloring on their skin and brilliant blue eyes.
“This is beyond ‘rare,’ it is absolutely extraordinary,” Mark McHugh, President and CEO of Gatorland said.
McHugh went on to say that this is the first time a solid white alligator has been born since a nest of leucistic alligators was discovered in the swamps of Louisiana 36 years ago.
The leucistic alligator - a female - was born with a normal colored brother to parents Jeyan and Ashley. The siblings weigh 96 grams and are currently 49 cm long.
Without darker skin pigmentation, leucistic alligators sunburn easily and therefore can’t have direct sunlight for long periods of time.
The park’s newest arrivals are in extremely good health, McHugh said, eating bite-sized pieces of raw chicken and tiny Croc Chow pellets, but aren’t yet on display so they can stay closely monitored.
“These are incredibly special animals in the reptile world, and we are being very careful with their safety and security,” McHugh said.
“We plan to have them on display early next year so guests can see them, learn about them, and fall in love with them like we have.”
Gatorland is asking for the public’s health in naming their new alligators by posting ideas on their social media pages, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
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