Alligators go dormant in the winter. StarNews file photo
As the weather gets cold, alligators burrow into holes and go dormant for the winter.
According to the experts at the N.C. Aquariums, alligators don’t hibernate in the strictest sense of the word, but they do dig holes along waterways and marshes and settle in for the winter, leaving part of the opening above water level so they can come up to breathe.
They emerge in the spring and breed during the summer months.
While biologists aren’t certain of exact numbers, it’s estimated that thousands of alligators live in Southeastern North Carolina.
Here’s a link to a N.C. Aquariums website with more information about alligators in North Carolina:
www.ncaquariums.com/askaquarium/alligators.htm
Date posted: December 30, 2009
User-contributed question by:
Jean Bystry
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