wild-photo-shows-crab-victoriously-atop-albino-alligator

Wild Photo Shows Crab Victoriously Atop the Back of an Albino Alligator

A photographer captured quite a sight of a crab being victorious atop the back of a dangerous-looking albino alligator

In a tweet, Gators Daily shared the image of the crab and albino alligator in all of its glory. “He has conquered the beast,” Gator Daily declared. Twitter users quickly shared their hilarious thoughts about the image. “I cannot tell if this is a War-crab riding a mount or a War-gator wearing a battle helmet,” one Twitter user wrote. “Definitely one of those two things though.”

Another Twitter user wrote, “I like to imagine more of a Legolas/Gimli situation. ‘Never thought I’d die fighting side by side with a crab.’ ‘What about side by side with a friend.’”

Although the image looks somewhat realistic, the animals are not so much. According to Finland’s HoaxEye, this is actually a sculpture that was created by artist Lee Romaine os New Orleans, Louisiana. The image was also posted on Reddit a few years ago. “As a native Floridan, I can verify that this is our official state bird,” one Reddit user declared

Albino Alligators Are Deemed ‘Rare’ With an Estimated 100 Existing in the World 

According to the Chicago Zoological Society, albino alligators are considered extremely rare. It was noted that biologists estimated that there are only 100 existing in the world. “They are the offspring of parents that carry the recessive gene for albinism, meaning they do not have the ability to create melanin to color their skin or eyes.”

With ivory-white skin and pinkish eyes, the large reptile is unable to survive very long in its native habitat of swamps, marshes, rivers, and lakes in the southeast portion of the U.S. due to being noticeable.

“Predators would easily find the young alligators because they are not able to camouflage amid their surroundings,” the organization shared. “Additionally, alligators bask in the sun to regulate their body temperature. However, an albino’s skin is very sensitive and can quickly burn. The sun also burns their eyes, making it harder for the albino alligators to see food and predators.”

Another issue that the species would experience is hunting and habitat loss. Alligators already have to deal with both issues and were even listed as endangered in 1967 under a  law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Luckily, with the collaboration of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and agencies in the southern United States, the gator population ended up recovering. Gators were removed from the endangered species list in 1987. 

While 2020 had its ups and downs … mainly downs… four albino alligators ended up hatching at Wild Florida Alligator Park. “This is the most incredible thing we have done,” Wild Florida co-owner Sam Haught revealed at the time. “Helping create more excitement, interest and casting a bigger spotlight on all crocodilians is just one of the many pieces that speaks to our mission here at Wild Florida.”