Monday, June 26, 2017

'Wait! It's Real?'

We walked up to an exhibit at the Charleston Aquarium Saturday where, looking for all the world like a plastic figure in a creepy blackwater swamp diarama, a huge white alligator posed motionless on its back legs in the glass window.  Every bit of him was bright white except his pink eyes, which suddenly ...
BLINKED!  
 
Meet Alabaster, a rare albino alligator, one of only 50 in the U.S.  

There are no albino alligators in the wild because UV rays in sunlight are deadly to them.  They are reptiles and need the warmth of the sun to regulate their body temperature but sunlight will burn them because of their lack of pigment.  In the wild they die within 24 hours of hatching.





 

Alabaster has lived in a temperature-controlled dark tank for his  eight years of life.  

He is 8 1/2 feet long and still growing. 



 









"Grandma, what big TEETH you have!"




 
One more alligator in the Coastal swamp exhibit.  Can you find him.

๐ŸŠ ๐ŸŠ ๐ŸŠ ๐ŸŠ ๐ŸŠ 







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14 comments:

  1. MarciaJune 26, 2017 at 3:37 PM

    What a strange one! I've seen an albino snapping turtle recently but it too was in captivity. Didn't see the last alligator in your photo.

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  2. Mac n' JanetJune 26, 2017 at 3:38 PM

    Wow!! Big teeth indeed. I didn't know Charleston had an aquarium. If you haven't made it to the zoo in Columbia yet you really should.

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  3. MichelleJune 26, 2017 at 5:02 PM

    I couldn't find the last one in the photo....yikes!

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  4. HuggybearJune 26, 2017 at 5:14 PM

    How old is this "gator" Cynthia????
    Certainly is a lucky one to have been captured I presume
    as he/she was hatched and put into a covered tank. Well done to
    I suppose the "Swamp/River rangers of SC.

    I don't advise that you go into the tank with him/her for a "friendly dip"
    either a la natural or covered, you would still taste the same to the Albino
    'Gator.
    Cheers
    Colin
    PS: Another perfect day here in Terrigal.......gotta boast when the winter weather
    permits and still there are people swimming in the surf - brrrrrrrrrrr!

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  5. RedJune 26, 2017 at 6:23 PM

    You learn something every time you visit the zoo.

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  6. biebkriebelsJune 27, 2017 at 1:44 AM

    Poor thing always to be in the dark on his own.

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  7. John "By Stargoose And Hanglands"June 27, 2017 at 2:43 AM

    A ghost!!!!

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  8. mamasmercantileJune 27, 2017 at 8:46 AM

    I saw one when we visited Gatorland in Florida, such a shame for them.

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  9. DeeJune 27, 2017 at 1:39 PM

    Dear Cynthia, I couldn't find him! As to the albino alligator, I simply never knew they existed. Thanks so much for sharing the photos and the information. How are they found within 24 hours? Is it all just by chance? Peace.

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  10. Shalet JimmyJune 29, 2017 at 5:52 AM

    A bit scary and of course strange

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  11. Beatrice P. BoydJune 29, 2017 at 8:59 AM

    That certainly would have startled me on first sight...what a large and very unusual gator.

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  12. Far Side of FiftyJune 29, 2017 at 10:34 AM

    Wow how unusual! :)

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  13. UnknownJuly 8, 2017 at 2:21 PM

    I've never seen an albino alligator, didn't know they existed until now!

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  14. vaiyboraDecember 10, 2017 at 11:30 PM

    Thanks for sharing this blog its very informative and useful for use.

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    ReplyDelete

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