The Official Houston Zoo Blog

Meet The Animal: Blanco
Age: Approximately 21 years old
Scientific Name: Alligator mississippiensis

Houston Zoo's Blanco

Lifestyle:

Blanco spends half his time in water and the other half on land. He eats previously frozen rats, small rabbits, and about once a year is treated to a turkey.

What Makes Blanco Special:

Because of his white skin, most assume that Blanco is albino. However, that is not the case. Blanco’s skin color is due to leucism, or reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin. Not many zoos have alligators of this color, making him a unique attraction.

Blanco responds to target enrichment without having to be shown food to move. This shows that Blanco understands what keepers want him to do without food being his primary motivator.

Interesting Facts:

When temperatures drops, alligators stop eating (internal temperature below 73 degrees) and they cannot digest food.

Females are very protective of their nests and young. They protect their young for up to one year.

Nest temperature determines the sex of offspring; in the low 90s produces all males, in the low 80s produces all females. Mid-to-high-80s produces a mix of males and females. Females control next temperature by moving off and on the top of the nest.

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