This photo taken Wednesday by Sylvia Mythen shows an orange alligator in Venice, Fla. Wildlife officials said Thursday the gator is not naturally orange. A one-of-a-kind orange alligator was spotted in Venice, Florida, Wednesday, prompting some to speculate that after remaining unchanged for 200 million years, the large reptiles are now taking a new evolutionary direction.
But probably not. After examining a photo of the vibrant crocodilian taken by resident Sylvia Mythen, wildlife experts reported its color probably isn't genetic.
WWSB-TV reporter Fallon Silcox quotes Florida Fish and Wildlife official Gary Morse: "The official opinion from our alligator experts is that this is alligator is not naturally orange. We believe it's orange from paint, stain, iron oxide or some other element in the environment that has left a coating on the animal, making it appear orange."
via Orange alligator: Evolution or dye job? - CSMonitor.com.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Orange alligator: Evolution or dye job?
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1 comment:
I'm pretty sure that's topical> Iron Oxide . Which can be found in high concentrations in natural deposits >dirt ;-) It can also be found around rusting metal objects . Like old oil drums , cans .If the gator was naturally pigmented it wouldn't look flat>dull .
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