When it comes to animals, alligators are likely among the toughest in the world — and they’ve got the reputation to prove it.
Tough as they are, though, the cold-blooded reptiles are not immune to weather woes.
The Top 3 states in which most alligators are found — Louisiana, Florida and Texas, respectively — have a reputation of their own for weather. From the extreme heat to the blistering cold (yes, even in the Sunshine State), alligators, like humans, have to adapt.
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Below is information about alligators, why they like the warm climate, how they fare during the extreme heat and bitter cold, and what “icing” in winter, or brumation, means for an alligator.
Though Florida has become synonymous with alligators, and the University of Florida’s official mascot is an alligator, the Sunshine State is not No. 1 on the list of alligator population.
That crown belongs to Louisiana.
According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana and Florida have the largest alligator populations — there are more than 1 million wild alligators in each state.
The site reports that “Louisiana’s wild alligator population has increased from less than 100,000 to more than 3 million in the past 50 years.”
Reports in 2025 state Louisiana has an estimated population of 2 million alligators.
Further South, about 1.3 million alligators call Florida home, making it second on the list of gator population.
“Alligators occur in all 67 counties in Florida and can be found in practically all fresh and brackish water bodies and occasionally in salt water,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission states online. “Although exact population figures are not known, Florida has a healthy and stable population of about 1.3 million alligators of every size. This population estimate is based on an estimated 6.7 million acres of suitable habitat.”
Third on the list of biggest alligator population in the U.S. is Texas. Although large parts of the state are uninhabitable by alligators, there are still about 400,000 in the Lone Star State, according to World Population Review online.
From the bayous along the Louisiana coast to popular recreational lakes near Fort Worth, Texas — including Lake Worth and Eagle Mountain Lake — and even backyard creeks in Dallas suburbs, alligators are more common than many Texans might realize — and much farther inland than expected.
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How do alligators survive in dangerous weather?
With their wide range, alligators encounter a fair variety of weather conditions: tornadoes and waterspouts, flash floods from rivers and rising lakes, winter weather including prolonged frosts and freezes and even extended periods of severe drought.
February 2021’s Winter Storm Uri was likely one of the most challenging events for reptiles in the region as historic cold swept across Texas. It was the first time ever that the National Weather Service issued freeze warnings across all 254 counties within the state.
Dallas — home to the Palmetto-Alligator Slough Preserve and the Trinity River watershed — plunged to -2°F, marking the city’s coldest temperature since 1930. For wildlife, including American alligators in the region, the storm tested their survival skills like few other events. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, more than 3.8 million fish and roughly 13,000 sea turtles died during the storm, making it the state’s largest freeze-related wildlife mortality event in decades.
How do alligators survive in winter? Do gators hibernate?
The Louisiana wildlife and fisheries site explains how alligators adapt to weather: Alligators are cold-blooded animals, meaning their body temperature “is regulated by the temperature of the environment around them. This is why alligators are often seen regulating their body temperature by basking in the sun.”
On the flip side, the alligators’ “metabolism may slow down during the cool winter months to the point that they can no longer catch or digest food efficiently. As a result, they may enter underground holes and remain dormant until warmer conditions return,” the site states.
How do alligators survive in freezing weather? Do alligators get stuck in ice?
The Weather Channel explains how alligators survive in freezing weather — in Louisiana, Texas and wherever alligators are found.
Viral social media videos in recent years of alligators sticking their snout out of the water in a frozen lake during winter prompted many to ask: What’s going on? Do alligators get frozen?
According to the Weather Channel, underwater alligators deal with the cold snap by floating toward the top and sticking their nose out to breathe. It’s a process called “brumation,” or a “fancy reptilian way of saying they’re shelling out during the freeze when alligators brumate, and they become lethargic and their metabolic rate slows down. Then, while the water freezes around them, they poke their snouts through the ice, making sort of a snorkel to breathe,” the Weather Channel report says. “When temperatures rise again, the alligators go back to business as usual.”
While snow (and frozen lakes) in Florida is not a common weather phenomenon, the “brumation” process occurs here, too, as a natural response to seasonal temperature shifts and reduced food availability.
What is brumation? Do alligators hibernate?
In a deeper dive about brumation, AccuWeather explains that, for alligators, “Not having to move for months at a time might sound like a dream to some, but for reptiles, it’s a means of survival. Brumation, which is essentially the reptilian equivalent of hibernation, is a dormant period when cold-blooded reptiles temporarily shut down all activity to conserve energy.”
And, apparently, it’s in their nature to do this: “By allowing themselves to freeze in place, the gators can lower their body temperatures and slow their metabolisms enough to survive the freezing winter temperatures. Brumation is an innate behavior for reptiles, meaning that their bodies tell them to do it naturally, regardless of environment.”
Alligators can sense the upcoming cold by recognizing the differences in water temperature. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, alligators are mostly inactive from mid-October until early March.
Is brumation the same as hibernation?
“Unlike hibernation in mammals, brumation is not a sleeping period for reptiles,” the AccuWeather report states. Alligators still need to breathe, “drink water and may wake for several days at a time before returning to brumation.”
Alligators in hot weather: Do alligators get overheated?
Because alligators are cold-blooded, they depend on the world around them to provide warmth. This is why people see them basking in the sun or digging holes in mud to trap heat, according to the National Wildlife Federation. “As a cold-blooded reptile, alligators undergo dormancy when the weather becomes cold. ”They are known to dig tunnels 65 feet (20 meters) long to protect themselves from extreme heat and cold.” They do this by using their tails to dig burrows in mud for nesting and to keep warm.
Although alligators enjoy the sun and bask more when it’s out, they can overheat, too. Because they do not sweat or pant like mammals, they rely on behavioral adaptations — called thermoregulation — such as moving into water, seeking shade to control their body temperature, or a process called gaping, where they open their mouths to release heat, according to the Crocodile Specialist Group.
“Without proper strategies to cool down, alligators face the risk of overheating, which can lead to permanent damage or death,” the NWF site states.
Summers in Texas and Louisiana routinely climb well past 100 degrees, and prolonged heat waves are common across both states. In recent years, regions of Texas where alligators live have also faced extended drought, straining the wetlands and waterways they rely on to stay cool — conditions that can push them to move more often and increase the chance of sightings as they search for new sources of water and habitat.
When drought hits, those new water sources are often already occupied by other alligators. Because these reptiles are highly territorial, especially larger adults, such encounters can quickly turn aggressive — and sometimes fatal.
Jennifer Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the United States as the Weather Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at baddison@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How do alligators survive winter? Info about brumation, frozen snouts