Alligators survive U.S. brutal cold by poking noses through ice

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Alligators in southeastern North Carolina poke their noses through ice to survive unusual winter chills battering east coast of the United States since last week.

During the "bomb cyclone" that landed in eastern United States earlier last week, the alligators went into the water in the Shallotte River Swamp Park in Ocean Isle Beach since it was warmer than the air.

"It's a survival mechanism," George Howard, the general manager of the park, told local reporters on Tuesday, "They'll go wherever it is warmest."

However, a layer of ice had formed on top of the swamp in the Shallotte River Swamp Park in Ocean Isle Beach last Friday, and stayed solid throughout the weekend.

But alligators just thawed the ice and poked their noses to breathe. It can be seen from online videos and pictures that the ice hardened around the gators' snouts with their bodies suspended in the water.

"They didn't care. They're just doing their thing," said Howard. "Alligators have been around for hundreds of years. They're survival machines."

The American alligator can survive water temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit and can hold their breath for one to 24 hours, the park said in a blog post. Enditem