Step into a magical, color-shifting world and discover the rare genetic phenomena of Leucism and Piebaldism. This exhibit is home to Po, our incredibly rare piebald American Alligator—one of only 11 known pied gators alive today! Visitors can get up close to our striking collection of albino, pied, and leucistic alligators to see firsthand how these unique genetic mutations alter their beautiful, ghostly scales. In the wild, these rare alligators share the same freshwater marsh and swamp habitats as standard alligators, feeding on an opportunistic diet of fish, frogs, and small mammals. However, because their bright white scales make them highly visible to predators, their wild population density is virtually non-existent, making our highly secure, shade-managed exhibit one of the only places on Earth where you can see multiple white crocodilians thriving together in close proximity.
Swamp School
Fun Fact: Unlike albinos, which have pink eyes and no pigment at all, leucistic alligators have beautiful, bright blue eyes and can have patches of normal dark pigment on their skin!
Gatorama Explorer Question: Can you spot the difference between the solid-white leucistic alligators and our piebald alligator, Po? (Hint: Look for Po’s dark, camouflage-like patches!)
