ORLANDO, Fla. — Gatorland announced Thursday the birth of an extremely rare leucistic white alligator at its park.
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With this birth, Gatorland now has the largest collection of leucistic alligators in the world.
“For the first time since a nest of leucistic alligators was discovered in the swamps of Louisiana 36 years ago, we have the first birth of a solid white alligator ever recorded from those original alligators. This is beyond ‘rare,’ it is absolutely extraordinary,” said Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland.
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Leucistic alligators are known as the rarest genetic variation in the American alligator, as leucism in alligators causes white coloration, but they often have patches 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.
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McHugh said the new baby female leucistic alligator and her normal colored brother received “A+” grades on their recent health check-ups.
“These are incredibly special animals in the reptile world, and we are being very careful with their safety and security,” he said. “We plan to have them on display early next year so guests can see them, learn about them, and fall in love with them like we have.”
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