Orange alligators? South Carolina gators emerge from winter brumation with new look
Alligators brumate in the winter -- the equivalent of mammal hibernation -- which can last from November to February, according to the South Carolina Aquarium. Depending on the color of soil or the rust in the water, alligators can emerge with an orange tint.
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LITTLE RIVER, S.C. – Emerging from a cold body of water after brumation, the alligators in South Carolina look like a powdered cheese snack baking in the sun.
Photographer Dan Krieger was enjoying a cup of coffee in early February on his porch in Little River, South Carolina, when he saw what looked like a burnt log across the water.
"At first, I thought it was a different species of gator, like, jeez, not an albino gator but an orange gator," Krieger said.
An orange-tinted alligator basking in the sun on Feb. 7, 2025 in Little River, South Carolina.
(D A Krieger Photography)
It turns out this was just a seasonal scale color change for the alligator, and for many in the area during the winter. Alligators brumate in the winter – the equivalent of mammal hibernation – which can last from November to February, according to the South Carolina Aquarium.
"Alligators, they do hibernate during the winter, and they nestle into the mud or into culverts and where we are, all these different ponds are connected, so it might have been in there," Krieger said he learned after some research of his own. "And what they do during the winter time is they come in contact with this rust-colored mud or water."
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Krieger said the soil in his neighborhood has a lot of clay, and it features dozens of ponds and culverts for alligators to hide in. Sometimes, the orange color comes from rusty pipes or metals the alligator is brumating near.
Once an alligator emerges from its sweet spot in the water, they look like a big Cheeto. Only this snack will eat you. After a few more dips in the water, alligators will return to their normal color.
Krieger, a photographer who moved to South Carolina from Vermont a few years ago, has enjoyed capturing the sights of southern wildlife, including bald eagles and other great birds. The orange alligator he photographed garnered a bit more attention on his neighborhood Facebook group.
Bald Eagles in Little River, South Carolina.
"Wildlife is crazy. The stuff they do," he said. "The way these animals and these birds live, the gators, too. I've never seen a gator attack anything or whatnot. They pretty much keep to themselves."
Krieger even put together a book of his wildlife photography captured in his neighborhood: Wildlife of Heather Glen.
Krieger's work, which can be found on his website, celebrates nature. He spent nearly 20 years capturing the seasons and landscapes in Vermont before heading to the land of alligators and sunshine.