Brumation - alligators beating the cold in North Carolina

[jim mcnamara]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article193602684.html
See the video.

Brumation is the term used for reptiles. They simply shut down and literally freeze to get past very cold weather. Generally it is for short periods, although garter snakes in parts of Southern Canada can endure 7 months of winter temperatures in shallow caves and rock crevices.

 

[scottdave]

I saw a segment on TV where iguanas in Florida were falling out of trees. I presume it is from the same phenomenon.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Fascinating. My understanding was that reptiles and amphibians living in temperate regions hibernate during the winter, so I would presume that brumation is essentially a form of hibernation among reptiles.