Can a crocodile wake up after being frozen into a popsicle? I advise you not to touch the frozen crocodile's nose!

Not long ago, a short video went viral. In the video, an American alligator (Alligator missisipensis, also known as the Mississippi alligator) was frozen in icy water, with only the two nostrils on the tip of its nose exposed on the ice. It looked like an "alligator popsicle."

Frozen crocodile, picture taken from video

In another state in the southern United States, Texas, someone also took a photo of the same "crocodile popsicle".

The same "crocodile popsicle" leaves only the nose breathing on the ice, the picture is taken from the video

In this regard, netizens have commented, can we take this opportunity to touch the crocodile's nose? After all, crocodiles are usually so fierce, and now they are frozen, shouldn't we take this opportunity to bully the crocodile?

Of course, some netizens are curious about whether the crocodiles in these "crocodile popsicles" are alive. If so, will the crocodiles bite you when you touch their noses? Some netizens are more concerned about whether these crocodiles can return to their original state after thawing.

Next, let’s learn about “crocodile popsicles”.

Can all crocodiles be turned into "crocodile popsicles"?

Not all crocodiles can experience the experience of turning into popsicles.

Frozen crocodile, picture taken from video

First of all, most crocodiles live in areas with relatively warm climates. The temperature in these places is relatively high, and crocodiles can move freely most of the time. In winter, crocodiles will crawl ashore to hibernate, and they are less likely to encounter rivers and lakes freezing. Therefore, most crocodiles do not have to worry about being made into popsicles.

There are two kinds of crocodiles that are special: the Chinese alligator and the American alligator mentioned in the previous news. Both crocodiles belong to the Alligator genus of the Alligator family.

The Yangtze alligator is mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in our country, while the American alligator is distributed in the southeastern U.S. Although these places are not as icy and snowy as the north, the temperature can still drop below 10 degrees Celsius or even lower in winter.

Crocodiles are cold-blooded animals and cannot maintain a constant body temperature. When their body temperature is too low, they need to find a place to hibernate.

However, even for the Yangtze alligator and the American alligator, being "made into alligator popsicles" is not a common phenomenon.

Female Chinese alligator hibernating, Image source: Reference 3

Male Chinese alligator hibernation nest, Image source: Reference 3

According to a 2015 study, the temperature inside alligator caves is generally higher than the temperature at the cave entrance. The water temperature inside the cave is 1 to 2 degrees Celsius higher than the temperature at the cave entrance, and the mud temperature inside the cave is 2 to 4 degrees Celsius higher than the temperature at the cave entrance.

So, even if the water surface begins to freeze, the temperature in the cave can still be maintained above freezing.

Image source: Reference 3

The American alligator is similar, they will also build nests in the mud near the river to avoid the cold winter. Only when they can't find a place to build a nest will the alligator be unwillingly turned into an "alligator popsicle".

For example, the swamp park in North Carolina where the "alligator popsicles" appeared also explained that the alligators in the park were closed and protected, and they had no chance to build nests in mud pits, so they were forced to "make do" in the water.

It can be said that the "crocodile popsicle" is a helpless act of the crocodile.

Do “Alligator Popsicles” bite?

Now that the crocodiles are frozen into popsicles, can we just pinch their noses? In theory, we can, but we don't recommend it.

Crocodiles are cold-blooded animals, and their hibernation is different from that of black bears (homeotherms), which are mammals.

Let's talk about hibernation in mammals first, the most typical representative animal is the black bear. During hibernation, the heart rate, breathing rate and metabolic level will drop sharply, but they can be awakened at any time, so if you encounter a "hibernating" bear, you should not touch its nose.

When the temperature drops , the heart rate, breathing, and metabolism of cold-blooded animals such as the Chinese alligator and the American alligator will indeed slow down, their movements will become slower, and their reactions will become sluggish, but they are still awake. And when the weather is better, these two crocodiles will crawl out to bask in the sun.

So if you touch their noses, they know it, but they are just too lazy to pay attention to you (or they are too cold to pay attention to you).

According to a 2003 study, alligators stop eating when the temperature drops below 16 degrees Celsius, so if you come across an alligator that is frozen in time, it is unlikely to attack you.

In addition, park managers once chiseled the ice around the "crocodile popsicle" and helped the crocodile move its mouth to prevent the ice from squeezing and injuring the crocodile. During this process, the crocodile did not show any signs of attack.

It can be said that alligators are very less aggressive during hibernation, and so far, there have been no reports of alligators attacking humans during hibernation. However, this does not mean that they are not aggressive, so it is still not recommended that you easily "fish".

For safety reasons, it is better not to touch it.

In a 2015 study of the Chinese alligator, a relative of the American alligator, scientists found individual differences in the temperaments of alligators during hibernation.

The study found that the Chinese alligators in the Changxing Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve in Zhejiang Province are not so good-tempered.

When the temperature is below 5 degrees Celsius, alligators will be in a deep hibernation state. If they are disturbed at this time, they will make a "roar~roar~" warning sound and have obvious self-defense reactions. It is not wise to provoke them at this time.

Previous records of the Yangtze alligators in Anhui showed that the alligators here keep their eyes closed when hibernating and do not react even if disturbed.

So we can't say that it's absolutely safe to disturb these alligator popsicles. If you accidentally break the ice and fall into the water, the alligator may bite you in self-defense if you are so scared.

There are risks in becoming an alligator popsicle

Of course, for a crocodile, having its nose touched is no big deal.

For them, being made into "crocodile popsicles" is more dangerous because after the crocodiles are turned into "popsicles", they may not wake up.

For example, in 1982, scientists studied two crocodiles that had been turned into "popsicles." One crocodile that was frozen in shallow water died after being frozen for three days and never recovered.

During the freezing period, scientists have been monitoring the crocodiles' body temperatures and found that the limit for American alligators is to drop to 4 to 5 degrees Celsius. If the temperature continues to drop, the crocodiles will be frozen to death.

In order to ensure their own survival, crocodiles will be prepared when they sense that the water temperature is dropping rapidly and is about to turn into "crocodile popsicles".

For example, they stick their noses out of the water to ensure they can breathe after the water freezes over. In addition, crocodiles keep the lower part of their bodies as close to the bottom of the water as possible, as the temperature here is generally higher than the water surface.

Of course, the temperature in the area where the alligators are is generally not very low. Even if the water surface freezes, it will not freeze for a long time, and the alligators still have a chance to recover. For example, the picture below shows a frozen alligator in the Everglades Park in North Carolina, and it is preparing to "break the ice."

Crocodile in "Breaking the Ice", picture taken from the video

Finally, we hope that every "crocodile popsicle" can wake up successfully (and forget that anyone has ever touched their noses).

References

[1]https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/01/23/frozen-alligators-water-brumation-hibernation/

[2]https://www.npr.org/2024/01/25/1226660910/alligators-frozen-underwater-brumation-explanation

[3] Fang Liming, Zhai Teng, Zhao Lan, et al. Two cases of hibernation of wild Chinese alligators[J]. Journal of Wildlife Science, 2015 (3): 284-287-365.

[4] Lance VA. Alligator physiology and life history: the importance of temperature. Exp Gerontol. 2003 Jul;38(7):801-5. doi: 10.1016/s0531-5565(03)00112-8. PMID: 12855291.

Planning and production

This article is a work of Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project

Produced by Science Popularization Department of Science Popularization China

Producer: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Author: Science Scraps Popular Science Team

Reviewer: Huang Chengming, Researcher at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Planning丨Zhong Yanping

Editor: Zhong Yanping