It has been revealed that Gatorland, an alligator amusement park located close to Orlando, Florida, has welcomed its newest member, who is also the rarest! The newborn alligator, which is a hatchling that is completely white and has eyes that are a piercing crystal blue color, is already causing quite the buzz, and it is easy to understand why.
For the first time since a nest of leucistic alligators was discovered in the swamps of Louisiana 36 years ago, we have the first birth of a solid white alligator ever recorded from those original alligators; […] This is beyond rare; it is absolutely extraordinary and the first one in the world, reads the official statement.
The ethereal alligator may appear to the typical eye to be an albino, but in truth, it is a leucistic alligator, which is an even more uncommon species of reptile. Gatorland was presented with a few alligators that had the genes for leucism by the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans back in 2008. Recently, one of these adoptive alligators, Ashley, has had both of its eggs hatch, and one of the shells has been punctured by a little white snout. Behold the baby alligator below:
The pocket-sized alligator has eyes that are a cool blue color and a gorgeous creamy white coloration. In general, leucistic alligators are in excellent condition and have the potential to live a long life of joy when kept in captivity. On the other hand, according to specialists at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, it is highly probable that such coloration makes it more challenging for them to hunt and avoid being attacked by their own predators while they are in the wild.
Gatorland is requesting the support of the general public in naming the two new alligators. So, what are you waiting for?! In the comments section below, tell us how you would name the two alligator babies.
