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This “Cajun curiosity” was hatched at an alligator farm in Cut Off, La. and raised at Alligator Farm Zoological Park in St. Augustine, Fla. White alligators are so rare, legend says staring into their eyes brings prosperity and good fortune. Such is its fame that a Virginia company, IPMS Inc., adopted the white alligator as corporate mascot. A visit to The Maritime Aquarium by another white alligator in summer 2005 was extremely popular with visitors, Schneider said. Aside from being creamy white it looks and acts like a regular gator. The animal’s white skin is often described as looking like white chocolate.
White alligators were unknown until the advent of commercial alligator farming. They cannot hide from predators, and so do not survive without human intervention, he added. Another liability for white alligators is that being cold-blooded reptiles they, like all alligators, rely upon the warmth of their surroundings. In nature, normally colored alligators warm themselves by floating near the water’s surface or crawling onto rocks or logs to bask in the sun. Unfortunately, a white gator’s pale hide sunburns. (The Maritime Aquarium built a special shaded enclosure with a heated pool and warming stone.) Joining the white alligator are other unusual bayou country animals, including a 55-pound alligator snapping turtle, the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. They have large, powerful jaws and a “lure” in their tongue to attract prey. Also on display is a three-foot-long, two-toed Amphiuma. It may look like an eel or snake but is actually an aquatic salamander with very tiny legs. It has large, sharp teeth that can deliver a powerful bite, Schneider said. Included in the swampland exhibit are interpretive displays explaining the need for wetlands conservation, both in alligator country as well as around Long Island Sound where marsh preservation here is analogous to swamp protection down south. Sponsored by Aetna. © Copyright by NorwalkPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of NorwalkPlus.com, Norwalk Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Related Articles: CURRENT HEADLINES: Top of Page
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