Featured Image Credit: Stephen Tatum, AP
By Natalie Helbling
Alligators are green. Turtles are normally a more neutral color… and NOT orange. This is common knowledge. However, there is chaos occurring in South Carolina. First an orange alligator is spotted, and now orange turtles… what’s next?
In two different locations in South Carolina, one at Myrtle Beach, there have been sightings of rust-colored reptiles.
The pictures of the turtles and alligators flooded the internet as people wondered what was causing the phenomenon. The Department of Natural Resources alligator program coordinator suspects that the orange is from the rust of a pipe the alligator remained in during the winter months. The rust is iron oxide, so just as a nail turns orange when it becomes rusty, the same effect occurs here. These affected reptiles are said to be in no danger due to to it, and will simply lose their odd coloring when they shed their layer of skin or as they live their everyday lives.
It’s crazy what a little iron and oxygen can do to cause some drama.