Rarest alligator in the world recently hatched

An alligator amusement park called Gatorland announced it has the “rarest alligator in the world.” It is a solid white hatchling with piercing crystal blue eyes that will grow into a white leucistic alligator. The establishment said it is the first birth of a solid white gator ever recorded since finding a nest 36 years ago.

We should celebrate finding rare variations of animals like this white alligator. It illustrates the wonder of natural selection and evolution that lets us see these unique differences. Also, studying these creatures enables us to understand how other animals may develop these traits. As a result, we learn more about our wondrous world and its inhabitants.

This article will provide more information about the rarest alligator in the world. Later, I will show other amazing hard-to-find creatures recently discovered.

What makes the rarest alligator unique?

Most folks may think this rare specimen is an albino alligator. However, it is even rarer because it has leucism, which manifests due to defects in specific pigment-producing cells.

Albinism is different because a lack of melanin causes it. Also, albino alligators are pale yellow with pink eyes; leucistic ones have mostly white scales, with a few regular ones here and there.

“For the first time since a nest of leucistic alligators was discovered in the swamps of Louisiana 36 years ago, we have the first birth of a solid white alligator ever recorded from those original alligators,” reads a press release from Gatorland.

“This is beyond rare; it is absolutely extraordinary and the first one in the world, it added.” Today, there are only seven known living leucistic alligators in the world. 

Mark McHugh, the president and CEO of Gatorland, explained in the YouTube video above how his establishment became the largest white gator breeding facility.

In 2008, the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans offered Gatorland alligators with leucism genes. One was a male named Jeyan with scales resembling “white chocolate.”

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It carries the dominant and recessive genes for leucism. Also, the gator facility received a female alligator named Ashley, which looked normal but carried recessive leucism genes.

In August 2023, their eggs began hatching, and a little white snout confirmed Ashley’s recessive traits. The pocket-sized critter is silken white with cool blue eyes. 

The unique specimen and its family live at Gatorland’s “White Gator Swamp,” a shady spot that protects these leucistic animals. Those with leucism can easily feel a burning sensation from direct sunlight. “These are incredibly special animals in the reptile world, and we are being very careful with their safety and security,” said Gatorland officials.

Other amazing animals

We found another cool creature three years ago: a dog-fox hybrid named Dogxim. In 2021, a car ran over it in the Cerrado region of Brazil. 

National Geographic says scientists confirmed it was a dog-fox hybrid by counting its chromosomes. They determined the hybrid had 76, the same as the maned wolf or Chrysocyon brachyurus.

Domestic dogs have 78 chromosomes, and Pampas foxes have 74. Consequently, scientists believe the dog-fox hybrid’s 76 chromosomes may indicate “the first evidence of the hybridization.”

Second, geneticists checked its mitochondrial DNA, which would exclusively originate from its mother. They discovered it came from a Pampas fox. Examining its nuclear DNA revealed genetic information from a Pampas fox and a dog.

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That is why they named it Dogxim, a combination of the words “dog” and “graxaim do campo,” the Portuguese name for Pampas fox. Rafael Kretschmer from the Universidade Federal de Pelotas shared ways a dog and a Pampas fox met and bred. 

First, Pampas foxes may have spread into domestic dog territory after losing their natural habitat to cattle ranches and human settlements. The overlapping territories give them more opportunities to mate. Also, Dogxim study co-author Bruna Szynwelski said abandoned dogs could be another factor:

“The practice of abandoning dogs is a crime in Brazil, but it still happens frequently. Pets and hunting dogs are often abandoned in natural areas by their owners, contributing to greater occurrence of dogs in natural habitats, including protected areas.”

Conclusion

The rarest alligator in the world recently hatched in Florida’s Gatorland. “We plan to have them on display early next year so guests can see them, learn about them, and fall in love with them like we have,” said park officials.

The establishment has also asked the social media public to name the leucistic gator and its sibling. Some recommendations include Leucie and Rickie, Salt and Pepper, and Rice and Gumbo.

This unique reptile isn’t the only scientific breakthrough to mark the new year. Check them out and other digital trends at Inquirer Tech.