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Scientific Name: Alligator sinensis

The Law of Wildlife Conservation of the People’s Republic of China prohibits the selling of alligator meat, organs, or hide, but it still happens occasionally on the black market. In some cultures, alligators are believed to be related to dragons and that consuming them will cure or prevent cancer.

STATUS: Only 150 to 200 individuals still exist in the wild, but over 10,000 have been born and raised at the Anhui Research Centre of Chinese Alligator Reproduction (ARCCAR) in the Anhui province. Most of the reasons for the decline in numbers are due to habitat destruction – all known wild crocodiles now live within a 270-mile radius. More and more of their wetland home is being converted to farmland as the population of China increases. Dams are also being constructed along the Yangtze, and the alligators are left with nowhere to go. As humans encroach on their habitat, the alligators have turned to eating farm animals, especially ducks, and farmers will drive them off or kill them to keep their flocks safe. The burrows they hibernate in during the winter also cause field drainage problems.

The captive population, mostly at the ARCCAR but also found in zoos around the world, is very healthy, and scientists have been working hard to successfully introduce captive-bred individuals into the wild.

HABITAT:  This small alligator is sometimes also known as the Yangtze alligator because it lives almost entirely in or near the Yangtze River in China. They especially like swampland. During the winter, they will hibernate in underground burrows to keep warm, and during the spring they will only hunt during the warmer parts of the day. In the summer, they switch to a nocturnal schedule.

DIET:  Alligators eat mostly fish, but are extremely adaptable when it comes to food. Their predilection for farmed ducks is an example of this. They have to stock up on food from March until October so they can safely hibernate through the winter. Alligators are fearsome hunters. They can run quickly on land, but their real expertise is in the water: their toes are webbed and they use their legs as rudders to steer them. They use their powerful tails to move themselves forward. They can hide underwater with only their nostrils, ears, and eyes above the surface, and often hunt at night to be even less visible. Once they catch their prey, they can eat underwater without drowning because they can seal off their nose and throat to keep from ingesting any extra water.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:  The Chinese alligator is relatively small. Males can be up to six and a half feet long and weigh about 80 pounds, and females are only about four feet long and 20 pounds. They are more black than green or grey and can have some bands of yellow, although that usually disappears as the alligator ages.

Prehistoric Species

Chinese myths of great and powerful dragons probably began with sightings of the Chinese alligator 3,000 years ago. Alligators (the Chinese and American species) and their relatives the crocodiles have been on the earth since the time of the dinosaurs. Marco Polo first documented Chinese alligators on his expedition to Asia in the 13th century. Even individuals are ancient: they have been known to reach 70 years old!