Chinese Alligator - Alligator sinensis
Habitat:
Lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, swamps, and marshes.
Range:
Eastern China- found in a small area in the Yangtze River basin.
Activity Cycle:
Nocturnal-hunting mainly at night
Features:
The Chinese alligator is generally dark green to black in color. Teeth are blunt which are perfect for crushing shelled animals.
Size:
Small-usually attaining a length up to 5 feet and can weigh 50-85 pounds. Males are around 5 feet and females around 4 ½ feet in length.
Life Expectancy:
Lives into their 50s
Diet:
They feed upon small invertebrates such as snails and mussels, as well as vertebrates such as fish, frogs, and rats.
Reproduction:
Female Chinese alligators reach sexual maturity at 4-5 years of age. Nesting occurs between July and August, during which a small nest is made from decaying vegetation. The female lays 10-40 eggs, which hatch 70 days later. Moms help the young hatch and then carry the little ones from the nest to the water.
Status:
Critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List and endangered according to USFWS with efforts underway to reintroduce captive-bred animals to suitable wild habitats. They are listed under Appendix I of CITES and are part of an AZA Species Survival Plan.
Interesting Facts:
- 1 of only 2 alligator species
- Only 130 left in the wild
- During cold, dry months, Chinese alligators brumate (similar to hibernate but with periods of waking)
- In 2003, the first captive born Chinese Alligators were released into their native range.
AZA cooperatively manages this species as a Species Survival Plan® Program.
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