Florida, Dec 9:
Gatorland Orlando, a renowned alligator park in Florida, celebrated the rare hatching of a solid white
leucistic alligator. This remarkable event marks the first documented case of such a hatchling since a
nest of leucistic alligators was discovered in Louisiana 36 years ago.
Gatorland Orlando announced in a Facebook post that “this is beyond rare; it is absolutely extraordinary
and the first one in the world.”
Park authorities reported that there are only seven surviving leucistic alligators globally, with three
residing in Gatorland.
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 coloration, but they often have patches or splotches of normal
coloration 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.”
Gatorland invites the public to suggest names for the stunning white female and her normal-colored
brother in the comments section of the post.
