How Do Reptiles of Texas Make It Through a Freeze? Take a look at This Remarkable Alligator Technique

Today, a chill from the Arctic spread throughout the U.S., including the southern states. In Texas, temperatures dropped listed below freezing in several towns, from the countryside to beach towns along the coast.

Texas is home to some rather intimidating reptiles, including alligators, snakes, and lizards. Although you may not want to encounter any of these creatures while out checking out the Lone Star State, it’s not unusual to identify them basking in the sunlight on warmer days. So what do these cold-blooded creatures do when the temperature levels plunge?

Alligators

Alligators have a remarkable strategy for making it through the cold. It’s called “icing.”

Gary Saurage, from Gator Country in Beaumont, Texas is heard in this viral TikTok video. He describes how the alligator survives the icy blast. “You can see the whole body of the alligator, however most notably, take a look at its snout,” says Gary. “He has actually pushed his snout up through the ice so he can get oxygen to breathe and endure. Folks, that’s remarkable. That’s how alligators survive in the ice!”

alligator-freeze-technique Image by David Arbour/Oklahoma Department

of Wildlife Conservation Snakes and Lizards Image by Kevin Abel Lizards like the sunlight and will sunbathe for hours to raise their body temperature. When they have actually had adequate sun, they scuttle away to find shade or some water. When it gets too cold, they discover a hole in the ground or inside a tree trunk and stay there.

Snakes gather together, in some cases in groups of hundreds, and wait on the warmer weather condition to get here.

Turtles

Sadly for turtles, the cold makes them sluggish and not able to swim, so they float to the surface area of the water. For sea turtles in specific, this makes them susceptible to boat strikes or ending up being stranded ashore. The Texas Department for Wildlife deals with the coast to secure and restore these “cold-stunned” turtles and will launch them back into the wild when temperature levels increase again.

Do Reptiles Hibernate?

Reptiles do not hibernate, but they do brumate. This is the reptile version of hibernation, and it’s almost the same method. Not able to generate their own heat, cold-blooded reptiles count on their environments to regulate their temperature. They slow their heart rate down, minimize their metabolic rate, and experience a duration of inactivity in order to save energy and endure the cold.

Alligators have a fantastic strategy for surviving the freeze. Discover how reptiles will make it through the freeze in Texas.

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