This is akin to hibernation: alligators in the US hibernate in frozen water bodies

Animals have a variety of ways to survive the cold, from thick fur and warm burrows to hibernating during the cold winter months. Alligators may not be the first creatures that come to mind when we think of cold weather survival tactics, but videos show that freezing with the lake is the best way for them to endure the cold snap.

In Texas and North Carolina, videos of "frozen alligators" are circulating on social media. They are discovered in frozen ponds, with only their noses and mouths protruding from the surface of the ice, allowing the animals to breathe," the IFLScience website reports.

One video, shared by gatorcountytx on TikTok, depicted just that.

According to the South Carolina Aquarium, this is a process called brumation, a period of rest during which the heart rate and other bodily processes slow down in response to cold weather. In alligators and other reptiles, it involves a decrease in body temperature, lethargy, and a decrease in metabolism.

Since these animals are cold-blooded and require the sun's warmth for their metabolism, if the temperature drops too low, they can perish. However, this period of brumation typically lasts 4-5 months in response to cold weather. It is similar to hibernation in that the animals do not eat, but differs in that they continue to drink and are not in a state of deep sleep.

The TikTok account 2guysandsomeland also shared a video of "swamp puppies" frozen in their habitat, providing a good indication of how inactive these alligators are - the person in the video is able to "boop the gator," although this is definitely not recommended. Nor is licking them, even if they are likened to popsicles.