(CNN) Two alligators with leathery orange skin are raising eyebrows in a community in South Carolina.

CNN affiliate WJCL reported that a man discovered the reptiles at a pond in Bluffton. Maybe an overzealous Clemson Tigers fan slathered them with the team colors? Or they ate Flamin' Hot Cheetos? Or they could be albino alligators?

None of that, says David Lucas of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The color could simply be from rust in draining pipes.

"During the winter, the alligators like to dig in and find a place to hibernate," he said. "It is possible that some end up near drainage pipes that have rusty metal pieces inside, so basically they marinate in rust all winter, and this stains them."

Another alligator spotted in 2017

Read More