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Video shows alligators surviving in frigid temperatures
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OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. - While Louisiana residents are seeing a reprieve from ice-cold conditions this week, some alligators a bit further north aren't having the same luxury.
Video recorded in a North Carolina nature park show some of the cold-blooded animals using their own unique method to brave frigid waters. The Shallotte River Swamp Park posted a series of videos online which shows the gators keeping their nostrils poking through the frozen surface of the water.
According to the park, the alligators will go into a state of 'brumation' whenever temperatures drop too low for them to remain active. This means the reptile’s metabolism slows down dramatically and it will go into a lethargic state.
During this time, an alligator will lie at the bottom of a body of water, holding its breath underwater anywhere from 1 to 24 hours. The gators will then occasionally poke their nostrils above the water to catch a breath, as seen in the video.
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