Chinese Alligator

Chinese Alligator

China alligator, Yangtze alligator, Chinese alligator

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Alligator sinensis
Population size
above 10,150
Life Span
50-70 yrs
Top speed
17-32 km/h
Weight
40 kg
Length
1.4-2 m

The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis ; simplified Chinese: 鼍; traditional Chinese: 鼉; pinyin: tuó ), also known as the Yangtze alligator,(simplified Chinese: 扬子鳄; traditional Chinese: 揚子鱷; pinyin: yángzǐ'è ) China alligator, or historically the muddy dragon, is a crocodilian endemic to China. It and the American alligator (A. mississippiensis ) are the only living species in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. Dark gray or black in color with a fully armored body, the Chinese alligator grows to 1.5–2.1 metres (5–7 ft) in length and weighs 36–45 kilograms (80–100 lb) as an adult. It brumates in burrows in winter and is nocturnal in summer. Mating occurs in early summer, with females most commonly producing 20–30 eggs, which are smaller than those of any other crocodilian. The species is an opportunistic feeder, primarily eating fish and invertebrates. A vocal species, adults bellow during the mating season and young vocalize to communicate with their parents and other juveniles. Captive specimens have reached age 70, and wild specimens can live to over 50.

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Living in bodies of fresh water, the Chinese alligator's range is restricted to six regions in the province of Anhui, as well as possibly the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Originally living as far away from its current range as Japan, the species previously had a wide range and population, but beginning in 5000 BC, multiple threats, such as habitat destruction, caused the species' population and range to decline. The population in the wild was about 1000 in the 1970s, decreased to below 130 in 2001, and grew after 2003, with its population being about 300 as of 2017. Listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, multiple conservation actions have been taking place for this species.

The Chinese alligator has been a part of Chinese literature since the third century. In the late 1200s, Marco Polo became the first person outside of China to write about it. In some writings, the Chinese alligator has been associated with the Chinese dragon. Many pieces of evidence suggest that the Chinese alligator was an inspiration for the Chinese dragon.

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No

Nocturnal

Ca

Carnivore

In

Insectivores

Mo

Molluscivore

Pi

Piscivores

Aq

Aquatic

Ap

Apex predator

Pr

Precocial

Bu

Burrowing

Na

Natatorial

Te

Terrestrial

Te

Territorial

Po

Polygyny

So

Solitary

Do

Dominance hierarchy

Hi

Hibernating

No

Not a migrant

C

starts with

Appearance

Chinese alligators are one of the smallest of the crocodilians (a group that includes crocodiles, caimans and gharials) and is amongst the most endangered. The back of its stocky body has a covering of hard scales, with softer scales on the belly and sides. As many as 17 transverse rows with 6 bony scales run the length of its dark green/black body, and there are paired ridges going halfway down its tail, joining into a single ridge that runs to the end of its tail. The teeth of these alligators are long and sharp, ideal for crushing shells. Their fourth lower tooth is bigger than the rest. With its mouth shut, its upper teeth are outside of its lower teeth, which makes it different to crocodiles.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Subcontinents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

The Chinese alligator was once distributed widely throughout the eastern part of China’s Yangtze River system. Today it is primarily restricted to a reserve of 433 square kilometers in the Anhui province in the lower Yangtze and some parts of the adjacent provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. This species lives in a temperate, subtropical region, in wetlands, swamps, ponds, lakes, freshwater rivers and streams.

Chinese Alligator habitat map

Climate zones

Chinese Alligator habitat map
Chinese Alligator
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Habits and Lifestyle

Chinese alligators are solitary and hibernate over winter in a system of complex underground burrows, to emerge around May. They use the burrows throughout the year, more in the winter. These can be very elaborate, sometimes housing more than one alligator. On emerging in May, they spend most of their day basking in the sun in order to raise the temperature of their bodies. They are an aquatic species, and can also use water to thermoregulate either by being in the upper columns of water heated up by the sun, or by moving to shaded water to cool down. With their body temperature normalized, they can return to their usual nocturnal ways. A Chinese alligator makes a bellowing sound to communicate its location. Males and females both also use body language for communication, such as using their lower jaws to slap the water or snapping their jaws to convey a warning.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

A Chinese alligator is a carnivorous predator. Adults mostly eat fish, snails, and clams, as well as water birds and small mammals, and sometimes turtles. Younger alligators eat small invertebrates such as insects.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
June, egg-laying: mid-July
INCUBATION PERIOD
70 days
BABY CARRYING
10 to 40
FEMALE NAME
cow
MALE NAME
bull
BABY NAME
hatchling
web.animal_clutch_size
10-40 eggs

Chinese alligators are polygynous and males mate with more than one female. Both males and females bellow or roar to signal their location and seek a mate. Both genders also have a musk gland under their lower jaw that produces a scent that is attractive and is used in mating. After mating in June, egg-laying takes place in mid-July. The female makes a mound nest from surrounding mud and vegetation and on land that surrounds lakes or rivers. The nests is often near a burrow, so that during incubation a mother can attend to the nest. She lays 10 - 40 eggs in a hollow on the top of the mound, then covers them with more vegetation. She stays near the nest, and in 70 days the eggs hatch, when the young alligators make a high-pitched croaking sound. Their mother quickly digs them out and looks after them throughout their first winter. They reach maturity after 5 - 7 years.

Population

Population threats

Habitat destruction is the primary threat to this species. Wetland areas are developed for agriculture in order to cope with the huge human population increase in the region. This animal now mainly lives in populated areas where inevitably it comes into conflict with the local farmers. The burrow systems where they hibernate cause problems for drainage in fields, and alligators also eat the farmers' ducks. Despite the lack of commercial value on the international market for the skin of the Chinese alligator, often these reptiles are killed when encountered, due to either fear or a threat to livelihood.

Population number

According to the Wikipedia resource, the total Chinese alligator population size is approximately 150 individuals in the wild and more than 10,000 in captivity. Currently this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • The gender of a Chinese alligator is determined by the nest's temperature during incubation. Temperatures lower than 28 degrees Celsius will result in females, while temperatures above 33 degrees Celsius produce males. An even number of males and females comes from a nest that is kept at 31 degrees Celsius.
  • Yow-Lung or T’o is the name given locally to this species, meaning “dragon.” Some writers believe that the legendary Chinese dragon was, in fact, the Chinese alligator.
  • "Alligator" comes from Spanish "el lagarto," meaning "the lizard."
  • There are just two types of alligators, the Chinese alligator and the American. They are different sizes, and the Chinese one has a more tapered and slightly upturned snout, as well as bony plates on each of its upper eyelids.
  • The alligator's bite is one of the strongest in the world, but the muscles that open its jaws are very weak. A pair of human hands or a piece of duct tape can hold its mouth closed.

References

1. Chinese Alligator Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_alligator
2. Chinese Alligator on The IUCN Red List site - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/867/0

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