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Chinese Alligator: Alligator sinensis
In the Wild
Description:
Size:
o Average length: 4.6-4.9 ft (1.4-1.5 m)
o Range from 4.6-7.2 ft (1.4-2.2 m)
o Sexual dimorphism: Males are larger than females
Weight: Adults can weigh up to 88 lbs
Yellow-gray in color, have 4 short, claw-tipped limbs with 5 partially webbed toes on
each limb and a long, thick tail
Habitat and Range:
Currently restricted to the lower Yangtze River basin, located along the central Pacific
coast of China in the southern part of Anhui Province and in some parts of the
neighboring provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu
In 1998, it was estimated that their geographic range had decreased by over 90% in the
past 20 years – Chinese alligators were referenced in literature as early as the third
century AD in other areas of China and possibly even Korea
Live in a subtropical, temperate region of China – prefer wetlands, swamps, ponds, lakes
and freshwater rivers and streams
Diet:
Carnivorous: Eat fish, snails, clams and the occasional small mammal or waterfowl
Adaptations:
Blunt teeth and short, strong jaws are adapted for crushing hard-shelled mollusks
Have a long, thick tail used for propulsion in the water
Partially webbed toes also aid in swimming
Have osteoderms – dermal bone lying over the epidermis used as armor, covering both
the back and underside of the body
Since they are nocturnal and are rarely able to bask in the sun for heat, they use water
to thermo-regulate – stay in the upper water columns heated by the sun to stay warm
or move to shaded or deeper waters to cool off
Lifespan:
Live about 50-70 years
Ecosystem relationships:
Predators:
o Adult Chinese alligators have only one predator – humans
o Juvenile alligators and eggs are most at risk due to their size – despite the
protection of the mother, young are often taken by larger animals such as other
adult alligators, large birds and fish
07/24/2013
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Chinese Alligator: Alligator sinensis
Reproduction:
Reach sexual maturity after 5-7 years
Mating season occurs annually in June and nesting typically begins in mid-July
Male alligators may mate with several females in one mating season; Females are
known to have only one mate each season
The female deposits 10-40 eggs into a nest mound that she constructs from decaying
vegetation
Females guard the nest from surrounding predators, whereas males have no parental
involvement
The eggs hatch in about 2 months
Responding to their vocalizations, females will remove any debris covering the nest and
bring offspring to the water – she may even help the hatchlings break out of their egg
shells by slowly rolling them around in the mouth and lightly cracking the shell by
pressing the egg between the roof of the mouth and tongue
Sex of offspring is determined by the temperature of the egg during incubation –
females are produced at lower incubation temperatures while males are produced at
higher temperatures
Hatchlings weigh about 1 ounce and average slightly over 8 inches long
Rapid growth occurs for the first 5 years of life but continues slowly throughout life
Activity:
Nocturnal: Prefer to hunt at night
Winter dormancy – brumation:
o Dormant from late fall into early spring, when temperatures are cool
o Create burrows on the banks of wetlands which are used throughout the year,
but primarily in the winter
o Burrows can also be very elaborate and may house more than one alligator
o Will bask in the sun for warmth after emerging, but will then return to their
nocturnal lifestyle
Other “fun facts”:
The Chinese alligator and the American alligator are the only species of alligator in the
world
o The Chinese alligator is much smaller than its American relative
o Has a more robust head and its snout is tapered and turns up slightly at the end
o Compared to the American alligator and crocodiles, the Chinese alligator is a
docile species that does not pose any serious threat to humans
Also sometimes called the Yangtze alligator
The local name for this species is Yow-Lung or T’o, meaning “dragon” – some writers
think that the mythical Chinese dragon was actually the Chinese alligator
Conservation Status and Threats:
Listed on CITES Appendix I
07/24/2013
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Chinese Alligator: Alligator sinensis
The Chinese alligator is protected in China as a "first-class rare animal," and hunting is
prohibited – when wild alligators are observed, a conservation station is established at
their den site, and a local farmer is paid to be responsible for the station by the National
Forestry Department
Listed on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered – there are thought to be less than
150 individuals alive in the wild today
o Habitat destruction is identified as the primary cause for their decline
 The species’ traditional wetland habitat has been largely converted to
rice paddies
 Luckily, the small region in which they have been confined to live is
somewhat isolated – the Yangtze River basin floods every year,
preventing its use as farm land and from permanent human residency
o Hunted for their meat and internal organs for alternative medicine, especially to
treat afflictions of the gall bladder
o Also hunted for food
o Susceptible to pollution, particularly water pollution which may affect its prey
o Are not typically hunted for skin because the skin on their bellies, customarily
used as a textile in other crocodilian species, is covered in osteoderms and
therefore is considered inadequate
The species has been successfully bred in wildlife refuges and in zoos, which maintain
healthy populations – in 2003, the first captive-born Chinese alligators were released
into their native range in an effort to revive the wild population; by 2008, 15 alligators
were born to the captive-bred individuals that had been released
At the Zoo
Yang was hatched in 1998 at the Houston Zoo. He was received on loan in 2002 and ownership
of Yang has since been signed over to the Maryland Zoo.
What We Can Do
Make environmentally responsible lifestyle decisions to help conserve habitat –
conserve energy, reduce litter and pollution
Make sure you know the origin of the products you buy – opt for fake leather products
Support the conservation efforts of local organizations like the Maryland Zoo in
Baltimore and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo where efforts are being
made to reintroduce captive-bred alligators to China
References:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Alligator_sinensis/
http://philadelphiazoo.org/Animals/Reptiles/Crocodiles-Alligators/ChineseAlligator.htm
http://www.stlzoo.org/animals/abouttheanimals/reptiles/alligatorsandcrocodiles/chi
nesealligator/
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/867/0
07/24/2013
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Chinese Alligator: Alligator sinensis
http://www.nagonline.net/Fact%20Sheet%20pdf/AZA%20%20Chinese%20Alligator%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
http://www.wcs.org/news-and-features-main/historic-hatching-in-china.aspx
07/24/2013
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore