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

In response to this, netizens have commented, can they take the opportunity to touch the crocodile's nose? After all, crocodiles are usually so ferocious, but now that they are frozen, why don’t they take this opportunity to bully the crocodiles?

Of course, some netizens are curious, are the crocodiles in these "crocodile popsicles" alive? If so, will they be bitten by a crocodile when they touch their noses? Some netizens are more concerned about these crocodiles. Can they return to their original shape after thawing?

Next, let’s learn about “Crocodile Popsicles”.

Can alligators become "crocodile popsicles"?

Not all crocodiles can experience the experience of "turning into a popsicle".

According to a 2015 study, the temperature in alligator caves is generally higher than the temperature at the cave entrance. The water temperature in the cave will be 1 to 2 degrees Celsius higher than the temperature at the cave entrance, and the temperature of the mud in the cave will be 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 remain above freezing.

American alligators are similar. They also build nests in the mud near rivers to escape the cold winter. Only when there is really no place to build a nest will the crocodile reluctantly turn into a "crocodile popsicle".

For example, the "Crocodile Popsicle" appeared in the Swamp Park in North Carolina. It also explained that the crocodiles in the park were enclosed and protected. They had no chance to build nests in mud pits, so they were forced to live in the water. "Make do with it."

It can be said that the "crocodile popsicle" is the crocodile's helpless move.

Do “crocodile popsicles” bite?

So since the crocodiles are frozen into popsicles, can we just pinch their noses? It's theoretically possible, but we don't recommend it.

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

Let’s first talk about hibernation in mammals. The most typical representative animal is the black bear. During hibernation, the heart rate and respiratory rate will decrease sharply, and the metabolic level will also decrease, but they can be awakened at any time, so if you encounter "hibernating" bears, you cannot touch their noses.

After the temperature of cold-blooded animals such as alligators and American alligators decreases, their heart rate, respiration, and metabolism will indeed weaken, their movements will become slower, and their reactions will become slower, but they are still awake. On. And when the weather is nice, these two crocodiles will crawl out to bask in the sun.

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

According to a 2003 study, alligators stop eating when temperatures fall below 16 degrees Celsius, so if you encounter an alligator that's frozen in ice, there's a good chance it won't. To actively attack you.

In addition, some park managers once chipped away the ice around the "crocodile popsicle" and helped the crocodile move its mouth to prevent the ice from squeezing and causing harm to the crocodile. In the process, The crocodile showed no signs of attack.

For safety reasons, it is better not to touch

In a 2015 study of the alligator, a relative of the American alligator, scientists found that there were individual differences in the temperament of the alligator during hibernation. .

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

Alligators go into deep hibernation when temperatures fall below 5 degrees Celsius. If they are disturbed at this time, they will make a warning sound of "ho~ho~" and have an obvious self-defense reaction. It is not wise to provoke them at this time.

Previous records of alligators in Anhui showed that the alligators here closed their eyes tightly during hibernation and did not respond even if they were disturbed.

So, we cannot say that it is absolutely safe to disturb these crocodile popsicles. If you accidentally step on the ice and fall into the water, and are so frightened, the alligator may bite you in self-defense.

There are risks in becoming a "crocodile popsicle"

Of course, having your nose touched is not a big deal to a crocodile.

For them, being made into "crocodile popsicles" is more dangerous. Because after the crocodile turns into a "popsicle", it may not wake up.

For example, in 1982, scientists studied two crocodiles that turned into "popsicles." One of the crocodiles that was frozen in shallow water died after being frozen for three days without ever recovering.

While being frozen, scientists have been monitoring the body temperature of crocodiles and found that the body temperature drops to 4 to 5 degrees Celsius, which is the limit for American alligators. If the body temperature continues to drop, the crocodile will freeze to death. .

In order to ensure that they can survive, the crocodile will also be prepared when it predicts that the water temperature will drop rapidly and it will turn into a "crocodile popsicle".

For example, they will stick their noses out of the water to ensure that they can still breathe after the water freezes. In addition, crocodiles stick the lower part of their bodies as close as possible to the mud at the bottom of the water, where the temperature is generally higher than that of the water surface.

Of course, the temperature in places where alligators live is generally not particularly low. Even if the water surface freezes, the freezing time will not be long, and the alligators still have a chance to recover. For example, the picture below shows a frozen alligator in a swamp park in North Carolina, preparing to "break the ice."

Finally, we also wish that every "crocodile popsicle" can successfully wake up (and forget that anyone has touched their nose) .