An incredible piece of footage from a wildlife park in North Carolina provides a glimpse of the amazing way in which alligators survive frigid temperatures.
The video, posted by the Shallotte River Swamp Park, shows the cold-blooded creatures submerged in a lake that has been frozen over with only the tips of their snouts sticking out of the ice.
According to wildlife experts, the remarkable behavior, known as brumation, is akin to hibernation in that the alligators are able to slow down their breathing and metabolism to enter into a dormant state.
In the midst of that process, the creatures instinctively know the precise moment to push their noses out of the water to ensure that they will not be frozen beneath the ice and can continue breathing.
At this particular location in North Carolina, ten alligators were spotted displaying the survival instinct by the park's awestruck general manager who, thankfully, captured the spooky scene on video.
A subsequent visit to the lake a few days later shows the alligators free from the ice and seemingly no worse for wear, aside from perhaps being a bit groggy.
And so the next time you're forced to leave the comfy confines of your home to brave the freezing temperatures outside, perhaps channeling your inner alligator can help you to endure the cold.
Source: Washington Post