Rare Albino Alligator to Leave Soon

The white alligator is on exhibit at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

A rare white alligator has been staying at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk this summer and it is only here through Labor Day.

The American alligator is about 8-feet long and is white because of lack of pigment.

Less than 100 of the roughly 5 million American alligators thought to be alive are albino, according to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to display a white alligator in the past and it was extremely popular,” Chris Loynd, the Aquarium’s marketing director, said. “In fact, one of the top questions that is asked of our volunteer staff is, ‘Is the white alligator still here?’ So this summer we’ll be happy to be able to answer, ‘Yes!’”

The reason white alligators are rare is because they cannot hide from predators when young and small in the wild, according to the Aquarium.

The “White Alligator” exhibit began on May 26.

The alligator is in a special shaded, heated enclosure because it is susceptible to sunburns and must stay out of the sun.


 

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