Chinese Alligator
Tagged: animal, animals, cat, fishAlligator sinensis
The Chinese alligator is one of the smaller crocodilians (large, predatory reptiles of the order Crocodilian, and possibly the rarest. Its range has been restricted by expanding human populations in China, and it is now endangered, although farmed specimens are restoring numbers overall. Like all crocodilians, the Chinese alligator is an efficient predator that is well adapted to its lifestyle. It is reclusive, feeding mainly at night and spending six to seven months hibernating in burrows. The burrow system is complex, often having ventilation holes up to the surface. The alligators’ habits, together with their efficient camouflage, mean that they can often go undetected even when they are near human habitation. Once widespread, the species is now mainly restricted to 13 small protected areas within Anhui Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve, an area of 167 square miles (433 sq. km). The alligators’ association with the dragons of Chinese mythology offers no protection. Their habitat is in an area of dense human population that has been heavily cultivated, principally by draining swamps and clearing vegetation. Pressure to expand cultivation is growing as the population increases. The Chinese alligator is not a man-eater, but is feared by local people and considered an expensive nuisance because of its burrowing, which destroys irrigation dams. Although the alligator’s diet is mainly snails and mussels-the broad teeth are adapted to crushing mollusk shells-they will take fish and ducks, which brings them into conflict with humans. The alligator is a protected species, but that does not stop it from being killed and sold for meat and medicinal use. The meat and skins are not as sought-after as those of some other species; the skin is difficult to tan due to the large osteoderms (bony plates) under the scales. Its lower value means that it is not worth hunting the alligators on a commercial basis. However, occasional kills remove a pest and earn a little money.
Surviving Populations
When the species was added to the IUCN listing in 1965, the estimated wild population was 50 specimens. Today the estimate is about 1,000, roughly 500 of which are in the Anhui Reserve. A few live in other reserves and possibly in scattered isolated areas along the Yangtze River’s tributaries. There are more alligators in captivity than in the wild. Captive-breeding programs have been successful; starting in the early 1960s with 200 wild alligators and 780 wild eggs, numbers increased to just over 4,000 by 1991. Breeding centers have been set up in China, and Chinese alligators have been bred at several American and European zoos. Currently the number of alligators in establishments in China is about 5,000; outside China about 230 exist in zoos and one or two private collections. Space is limited in zoos, however. The young will live together quite well up to the age of three or four years; but as they grow, fights and cannibalism can become a problem. At the moment breeding from second-generation animals is not carried out for these reasons.
Future Prospects
Which means that they can enter trade. The original idea was to produce them for meat and for the European pet market, although it is doubtful if the demand in Europe would be great enough to make breeding worthwhile. However, the industry provides much-needed jobs for many people. The Chinese alligator has been proven to thrive in captivity. Females are mature at between four and five years, which makes them ideal for captive breeding. Its longevity and reasonable clutch size mean that wild areas could be repopulated if the habitat was not being constantly threatened.
Chinese alligator
Alligator sinensis
- Family: Alligatoridae
- World population: About 1,000 wild adults
- Distribution: Lower Yangtze River in China
- Habitat: Slow-moving freshwater rivers and streams; lakes, ponds, and swamps
- Size: Length up to 6 ft (2 m). Weight: up to 85 lb (40 kg)
- Form: Similar to the American alligator, but smaller and with a more tapered head. Snout is slightly upturned near the nostrils. Color is dark brown to black. Young carry bright-yellow crossbands that fade with age
- Diet: Snails, mussels, fish, and ducks
- Breeding: Clutch of 10-40 eggs per year laid under mounds of decaying vegetation. Average clutch size in captivity is 15 eggs. Females may occasionally miss breeding one year. Incubation about 70 days
- Related endangered species: Black caiman (Melanosuchus niger)
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