An orange alligator basks in the sun on the shore of a reservoir near Danner Plantation in Hanahan, South Carolina, Thursday, February 9, 2017. (? Leroy Burnell/the Postamp; Courier/AP)

A carnivore with orange leather skin is attracting people via social media.

That’s because of a recent incident in the South An orange alligator has been spotted in the Carolinas.

Earlier this week, members of a residential community in Hanahan, South Carolina, discovered an unusual sight near a retention pond - an alligator with orange skin. According to a report by local TV station WCBD News on the 2nd, the apricot crocodile is about 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) long and has been nicknamed "Trumpergat" by its human neighbors. [Alligator Alley: Monster Reptile Pictures]

The carrot-colored alligator is likely an American alligator (Mississippi alligator) - the only alligator in South Carolina - which can live to be over 60 years old and grow up to 13 years in length ft. (4 meters), the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) reported that earlier this week, the

was photographed sunning itself on the shore near a pond, its bright orange skin with mottled contrasting brown grass. Several Facebook commenters joked that the alligator must be a fan of the Clemson University of South Carolina Tigers football team, which has an orange logo and uniforms.

, but the alligator doesn't paint itself in a pumpkin-colored palette to show allegiance to the sport, nor does it appear dark for television cameras. So what makes this crocodile turn an unexpected color? One explanation could be rust from a steel culvert where alligators hide during the winter, a SCDNR representative tweeted: "KdSPE" "KdSPs" "KdSPE" "KDSPs" are an environmental agent such as algae or Pollutants in the water can also color an alligator's skin, but it's hard to know for sure, Josh Zalabak, a herpetologist at the South Carolina Aquarium, told WCBD News 2. WCBD News 2 reports that if the discoloration is just skin-deep, it will disappear after a few weeks when the alligator sheds its skin.

While rusty reptiles are rare, this isn't the first time an alligator has been spotted resembling a Cheetos factory escapee.

In 2011, biologist David Steen wrote in a blog post that year that an orange alligator was photographed in Venice, Florida, sparking concern about the animal. Alligators speculate whether the appearance of this alligator is a dramatic dye job or "evolution is at play," said Sten, an assistant research professor at the Auburn University Museum of Natural History in Alabama. Noting that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission quickly intervened, explaining that the strange color could be caused by something in the water. In fact, he said, Steen had observed the phenomenon first-hand when he discovered it in sea turtles caught in New York state a few years ago. "I go to the pond occasionally," he said. , the water in the ponds was contaminated with natural sediment, and as you might expect, the turtles I caught in these ponds were different colors than the turtles I caught elsewhere,” Steen wrote, wildlife officials warned. /p>

Tempting as it may be to risk getting close to a strangely colored crocodile to take a photo, keep a safe distance. The University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) recommends a height of approximately 60 feet (18 meters) in a post on alligator safety.

"Please remember that they are wild animals and should be treated with respect," J. Whitfield Gibbons, SREL's director of outreach, said in a statement. "Some of our precautions can help humans and alligators survive safely." . "KDSPE" KDSPs original articles on living science.