Breathtaking video shows how alligators survive in a frozen North Carolina pond

KJ Hiramoto | WCNC-TV, Charlotte, N.C.

Show Caption Hide Caption The way alligators survive in frozen ponds will shock you Alligators at the Shallotte River Swamp Park in North Carolina survived frigid conditions by allowing their noses to be frozen in ice.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. -- A breathtaking video from a North Carolina swamp park shows how alligators survive frigid temperatures by freezing in place.

Shallotte River Swamp Park in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., shared a breathtaking video showing the park's alligators with their nostrils poking through the ice.

"They seem to be doing fairly well," said an expert from the park who was watching the alligators poke their noses out of the frozen river.

In a blog post, experts from the Shallotte River Swamp Park explained that alligators can live in water temperatures as low as 40 degrees. When the water or air temperatures are too low for them to be active, experts say these reptiles go into a "state of brumation."

"This is where a reptile’s metabolism slows down dramatically and will go into a lethargic state," experts say in the blog. "Often during this time, an alligator will stay at the bottom of a body of water. An alligator can hold its breath underwater for 1 to 24 hours."

If they need to breathe, the alligators can poke their nostrils right above the water.