Image of an alligator by Bettina Arrigoni via Wikimedia Commons
I read an interesting article in Live Science about a unique way a group of American alligators use to survive periods of freezing water, for a few days at least. As the temperature drops, the animals stick their nose out of the water and are thus able to breathe through the ice. During cold months the alligators also reduce their metabolism, a process called brumation, which is different from hibernation as the alligators are still aware.
Categories: Extreme Animals, Hibernation and Hypoxia, Nature's Solutions
Tags: alligator, breathing, brumation, cold, physiology, respiratory, weather
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 