Here in Texas, we don't need a groundhog to tell us if winter is over, because we have an alligator!
While everyone else watches Punxsutawney Phil up north, we can watch Big Al at Gator Country in Beaumont, Texas. The 93-year-old gator last ate in November before entering brumation. For cold-blooded reptiles, that's a similar state to hibernation.
At noon on Sunday, Gator County staff will offer Big Al a nice juicy steak. If Al takes a bite, it indicates an early spring! If he turns down the treat, we're in for six more weeks of winter.
And it seems science backs this up. Alligators have to get their internal temperatures to around 80 degrees in order to digest food, and they rely on outdoor temperatures in order to do that.
Gator Country co-owner Arlie Hammonds says if Big Al puts the steak in his mouth to eat it, he knows that it's going to be warm enough for him to digest it.
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