The Associated Press reported that an unusual alligator has been spotted near a pond in Hanahan, South Carolina.
The gator appears to be a rusty orange color. Residents in a residential neighborhood with a retention pond have seen it multiple times. The Post and Courier reported that a post on the neighborhood's Facebook community page prompted debate about the reptile.
>>EXPLAINER: Why are so many alligators 'knocking' on our doors?
South Carolina aquarium herpetologist Josh Zalabak told WCBD the gator's environment may have caused its color.
"(It could be) algae – maybe some pollutant in the water, but it's hard to say unless the water is tested," he said.
Jay Butfiloski, who works with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, told The AP the color could have come from where the gator stayed in the winter, such as in or near a rusty steel drainage pipe.
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