ORLANDO, Fla. – One of the rarest American alligators in the world has been hatched at Gatorland in Orlando — and she’s now available to the public, according to the theme park.
Gatorland announced that the gator was nicknamed “Mystic,” and she’s the only white, leucistic alligator ever hatched outside of the swamps in Louisiana.
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Furthermore, she’s the only baby leucistic ever displayed to the public, the release shows.
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Distinct from albino alligators, characterized by pink eyes and complete pigment loss, leucistic alligators exhibit white coloration with patches or splotches of normal color on their skin.
In a release on Monday, Gatorland officials said that Mystic and her normal-colored brother — nicknamed “Mayhem” — are being kept in a $50,000 specially built habitat at Gatorland, which is being used to protect their skin and help them grow.
“This is incredibly special for us here at Gatorland to have these two amazing, rare baby alligators in public view in our White Gator Swamp,” Gatorland CEO Mark McHugh said. “Our visitors get to experience something they will never see anywhere else but here at Gatorland. Mystic and Mayhem are just steps away from our leucistic gators, so guests can see the babies, then turn around and see the giant adults.”
As of Monday, both Mystic and Mayhem weigh less than 1 pound combined, Gatorland officials explained. The pair also stretch a little over 1 foot long each.
The pair is being fed bite-sized pieces of raw chicken and tiny nutritional pellets, though staff have also taken them outside for “additional enrichment,” the release says.
Both Mystic and Mayhem were born back in December, and the theme park announced the siblings’ names earlier this year.
These aren’t the first strange alligators to make their way to Gatorland, though.
Last year, another alligator — later dubbed “Jawlene” — was rescued and rehabilitated by Gatorland after she was found in the wild with a missing upper jaw.
Since then, Jawlene has also become available for public viewing at the theme park, with her health drastically improving since she was first discovered.
[WATCH GATORLAND’S VIDEO ON MYSTIC AND MAYHEM’S NEW ENCLOSURE BY CLICKING IN THE MEDIA PLAYER BELOW]
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