Slow-moving gator gets worn out stalking a frog, takes nap in road, Texas video shows
A Texas alligator didn’t let heavy rainfall ruin its short road trip at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, video shows.
“The rain is still coming down and much of our auto tour is underwater, but some of our refuge residents don’t seem to be bothered,” the refuge said in a Facebook post Thursday.
The video captures the slow-moving alligator plodding into a puddle in the middle of the road entering the refuge.
The driver seems to wait patiently for the lizard to make its way across the street. But just as the mellow gator is about to reach the other side, it plops down and takes a rest.
A few seconds later, the gator turns and chases after a frog, catches and eats it, video shows. Apparently tired after the low-speed pursuit, and satisfied with its snack, the alligator lays down again to rest.
“There’s nothing like a nap and a snack in the middle of a road trip,” one commenter wrote.
“Not a care in the world. Just taking his time and being sneaky,” wrote another. “I just love gators!”
Some expressed concern over how slowly the alligator was moving, worried it might be hurt. But it’s probably just a chill lizard, according to the refuge.
“He’s probably just moving slow ... it’s cool out,” refuge officials said.
During periods of cold, alligators enter a state of brumation, the reptile equivalent of hibernation, according to the South Carolina Aquarium. The primary difference is brumating reptiles don’t sleep for weeks or months at a time, they keep moving, though less frequently, and become lethargic as their metabolic rate slows.
The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is roughly 150 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, and was established in 1937 as a protected breeding ground for migratory birds “and other wildlife,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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