Watch: Extremely rare white alligator with blue eyes born in Florida reptile park
White alligator born in Florida
An extremely rare white alligator has been born in a Florida reptile park. The officials at the park welcomed the news in a Facebook post, marking the first documented case of such a hatchling since a nest of leucistic alligators was discovered in Louisiana 36 years ago.
"This is beyond rare; it is absolutely extraordinary and the first one in the world," Gatorland Orlando announced in the social media post.
The authorities revealed that there are only seven such surviving white alligators in the world, with three of them residing in Gatorland park.
Watch video here:
Park officials said in the post that "Leucistic alligators are the rarest genetic variation in the American alligator. They differ from albino alligators, which have pink eyes and a complete loss of pigment.”
“Leucism in alligators causes white colouration, but they often have patches or splotches of normal colouration on their skin. Without the darker skin pigmentation, they can't have direct sunlight for long periods of time because they sunburn easily. Leucistic alligators also have brilliant blue eyes compared to the pink eyes of an albino alligator," it added.
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“The new baby female leucistic alligator and her normal coloured brother, born to parents Jeyan and Ashley, weigh 96 grams and are currently 49 cm long. These are incredibly special animals in the reptile world, and we are being very careful with their safety and security,” the park statement said.
The officials are now asking for the public’s help in naming the rare alligator. They also revealed that park visitors will be able to see the white alligator from early next year.
“For now, however, we continue to keep them safe where we can closely monitor their health and growth,” said Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland.
The video of the alligator has attracted much attention on social media, having accumulated over 16,000 views and 1,000 likes.
“Oh, those smiles! I love them!” posted a Facebook user. “So beautiful,” added another. “I'm so excited for this new baby! Gatorland just gets more exciting all the time!” joined a third.
(With inputs from agencies)