The Newport Aquarium is home to two super rare white alligators, cleverly named Snowball and Snowflake. And the two festively monikered albino reptiles got a gift this holiday season: A new home.
The just-opened "Legend of the White Gators" habitat is the largest in "Gator Alley" and features a sandy heated beach, a place for Snowflake to build a nest and an underwater viewing area that lets guests get eye-to-eye with the gators themselves.
“We’re always looking for ways to bring guests closer to our animals, close enough to care,” said Eric Rose, executive director of Newport Aquarium, in a press release. “Getting eye-to-eye with these majestic creatures is sure to help visitors care more about protecting alligators in the wild.”
Snowball and Snowflake are two of only 100 or so known white alligators in the world. They have a low survival rate in the wild due to their lack of camouflage and UV sensitivity, but these two gators are thriving in Newport. Snowball, the male, is eight feet long and weighs 175 pounds. His buddy Snowflake, a lady, is six feet long and weighs 95 pounds.
For more info, visit newportaquarium.com.
