(NewsNation) — An extremely rare leucistic white alligator was born at a Florida reptile park this summer.
The 19.2-inch female gator is one of only seven known leucistic alligators in the world, Gatorland Orlando said Thursday. Three of the seven live at the Florida park.
“This is beyond rare. It is absolutely extraordinary,” Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland, said in a statement.
The leucistic alligator is the rarest genetic variation of the American alligator. Leucism gives the baby alligator its white coloring but is different from albinism because it does not affect the eyes.
“Without the darker skin pigmentation, they can’t have direct sunlight for long periods of time because they sunburn easily,” the park said in a statement.
For now, she will be kept away from guests to allow her to grow and develop normally, McHugh said.
Until then, the park is asking the public to help name the baby gator. The list so far includes Ice, Noelle, Snow, Pearl, Ivory and Marshmallow.