Albino gator at SC Aquarium grows 3 inches, gains 20 pounds

Alabaster the Alligator, the albino alligator living at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, is 20 pounds heavier and 3 inches longer than a year ago.

The aquarium says about 15 staffers assisted Wednesday in giving an annual checkup to Alabaster, one of about 50 albino alligators known to be alive in the world.

The alligator lives in the aquarium’s black swamp exhibit and now weighs 186 pounds. The 19-year-old gator is 8.5 feet long.

Aquarium officials say that about one in 100,000 alligators is an albino. But because of their white skin, they usually don’t survive long. Because of that, Alabaster can never be returned to the wild.

Associated Press

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Albino gator at SC Aquarium grows 3 inches, gains 20 pounds."