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This Rare Newborn Is 1 of Just 8 Leucistic Alligators in the World—And You Can Name Her
Gatorland Orlando is inviting name suggestions for a 'beyond rare' white alligator born at the sanctuary. The newborn is one of total 8 known leucistic alligators on Earth.
Updated Dec 8, 2023 , 01:22 PM IST
Gatorland is now home to 4 of just 8 known leucistic white alligators in the world. | Courtesy: Gatorland/Facebook
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- A leucistic white alligator was recently born at a park in Florida, becoming just the eight known living creature of its kind.
- Gatorland is seeking the community's help in naming the rare new addition.
- 18 leucistic alligators were first discovered 36 years ago, now just 7 of them are alive.
A sanctuary in Florida has sought the public’s help in naming an extremely rare leucistic white alligator born recently at the facility.
Gatorland Orlando announced the birth of the reptilian oddity, who is one of just eight of its kind in the world, in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The hatchling marks the first ever birth of a solid white alligator since a nest of leucistic alligators was discovered 36 years ago, Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland, said in the video statement.
“18 of these brothers were born in the swamps of Louisiana back in 1987—that's how rare this is!” he explained. “There's only seven of them left in the world. Three of them are right here at Gatorland.”
Although leucistic alligators can be easily mistaken for albino alligators, they are different. Leucism, the condition that causes a partial loss of pigmentation in animals and humans, is the rarest genetic mutation in American alligators.
Albinos, on the other hand, are completely white and have pink eyes, unlike white alligators who have brilliant blue eyes.
As for the newborn in question, the baby alligator is a female born to parents Jeyan and Ashley, alongside her feisty little “normal-coloured” brother.
“We brought our veterinarian in as we wanted to check that baby out [to] make sure she's in perfect health—and she was,” McHugh said.
The alligator is in good health, weighing 96 grams and is 49 centimetres long.
Although she won’t be on display until the next year, as park officials monitor her health and growth, the community has been invited to send name suggestions for the rare new addition.
“Go on our social media, on YouTube, Facebook or Instagram and submit names for this beautiful little brother and sister,” Gatorland said. “Help us name these awesome alligators.”
The unnamed baby maybe rare but American alligators have come a long way from being listed as an endangered species in 1967 to becoming a conservation success story. Their population is estimated to be around 5 million, with the states of Florida and Louisiana accounting for most of the wild individuals.
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