The other is the American alligator.
Chinese Alligator (also called the Yangtze Alligator)
The Chinese alligator is one of two species (or kinds) of alligator.
The other is the American alligator.
An American alligator
Chinese alligators live in a just a small part of north-eastern China. It is thought that there are just 150 Chinese alligators left in the wild. It is a very endangered animal and it is protected by both Chinese and international law. The habitat where it lives is also protected.
Why has it become
endangered?
It is endangered because of habitat loss. It lives where people live and eats the ducks that people keep for food, as well as destroying irrigation channels on farmland. The farmers would like them to be gone. The building of dams in the wetlands is also destroying the habitat.
What is being done to stop them from extinction?
There are
several thousand alligators being kept in captivity and it may
be possible to reintroduce them into the wild at some stage. However,
villagers and farmers will have to be taught how to value the
alligator or they will not survive.
Appearance:
What do they look like?
The alligators grow to about 2 metres and can weigh up to 40 kilograms.
The body is covered with scales. The end of the snout is tapered
and slightly upturned. They can have up to 76 teeth.
Habitat: Where
do they live?
The alligators live in freshwater rivers and streams, lakes, ponds
and swamps. They build burrows and hibernate in them for up to
7 months of the year for protection from the extreme climate of
northern China.
Diet: What
do they eat?
The alligators hunt mainly at night, feeding on snails, mussels and fish. They also eat small mammals such as rats.
Reproduction:
How do they breed?
baby Chinese alligator at a breeding farm
After mating in
the summer, the female builds a mounded nest of rotting plants
and lays between 10 and 50 eggs.
After about 70 days
the eggs hatch.
If you use any part of this in your own work, acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
Thomas, R. & Sydenham, S. Chinese or Yangtze Alligator [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2001).
Back to Flora and Fauna of
China
updated December 2010