What’s On has details of two rare albino baby alligators from Florida, now on display at the Lost Chambers Aquarium at Atlantis the Palm.  

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Whilst The Lost Chambers Aquarium at Atlantis is already home to more than 65,000 marine animals, it’s the two newest residents we’re most excited about.

The world-class Dubai attraction has recently welcomed a couple more residents to their family – two rare albino baby alligators. Named affectionately Ali and Blue, the two year old brothers have travelled all the way from Florida, and have found a new home in an enclosure equipped with special lamps, ample space to swim around, and a nice heated slab for lounging around on.

Check out the video:

 

At the moment, Ali and Blue are only 80cm long, and are growing at the rate of about a centimetre a week. However they have the potential to grow up to four metres in length, and can, in short bursts,  move at speeds of up to 50km an hour.

Although alligators have a lifespan of around 50 years old, being albino and amongst the most rare of their cold-blooded relatives, little Ali and Blue may have actually had difficulty surviving in the wild. Their white skin makes it hard for them to camouflage, rendering them easy to spot by predators – and as predators themselves, they wouldn’t pull off a very convincing impression of a floating log while on the hunt.

Due to the lack of melatonin in their skin, the little gators also wouldn’t cope too well under the sun. As albinos, their skin is extremely photosensitive, and they can easily suffer from sunburn.

If you ever thought an alligator couldn’t be cute, Ali and Blue are sure to prove you wrong.