Chilling Discovery: Frozen Alligators in North Carolina Survive in Brumation

Alligators in North Carolina and Texas have been spotted submerged under ice with just their snouts poking out to breathe, a behavior known as brumation, the reptilian version of hibernation. During brumation, reptiles reduce their body temperature, heart rate, breathing, and metabolic rates to conserve energy in cold temperatures. Alligators in Texas are mostly inactive from mid-October until early March, and when they eventually emerge from brumation, they are lethargic and slow until they warm up by basking in the sun.