"Muddy dragon" redirects here. Not to be confused with Kinorhyncha, also known as mud dragons.
Chinese alligator
Temporal range: Pliocene–Recent, 3.6–0 Ma[1]
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
↓
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[2]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[3]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Reptilia
Clade:
Archosauromorpha
Clade:
Archosauriformes
Order:
Crocodilia
Family:
Alligatoridae
Subfamily:
Alligatorinae
Genus:
Alligator
Species:
A. sinensis
Binomial name
Alligator sinensis
(Fauvel, 1879)
Chinese alligator range (in Black)
Synonyms
Caigator sinensisDeraniyagala, 1947[4]
The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis; simplified Chinese: 鼍; traditional Chinese: 鼉; pinyin: tuó),[5] also known as the Yangtze alligator (simplified Chinese: 扬子鳄; traditional Chinese: 揚子鱷; pinyin: yángzǐ'è), China alligator,[2] or historically the muddy dragon,[6] is a crocodilian endemic to China. It and the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) are the only living species in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. Dark gray or black in color with a fully armored body, the Chinese alligator grows to 1.5–2.1 metres (5–7 ft) in length and weighs 36–45 kilograms (80–100 lb) as an adult. It brumates in burrows in winter and is nocturnal in summer. Mating occurs in early summer, with females most commonly producing 20–30 eggs, which are smaller than those of any other crocodilian. The species is an opportunistic feeder, primarily eating fish and invertebrates. A vocal species, adults bellow during the mating season and young vocalize to communicate with their parents and other juveniles. Captive specimens have reached age 70, and wild specimens can live past 50.
Living in bodies of fresh water, the Chinese alligator's range is restricted to six regions in the province of Anhui, as well as possibly the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Originally living as far away from its current range as Japan, the species previously had a wide range and population, but beginning in 6000 BC,[citation needed] multiple threats, such as habitat destruction, caused the species' population and range to decline. The population in the wild was about 1,000 in the 1970s, decreased to below 130 in 2001, and grew after 2003, with its population being about 300 as of 2017. Listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, multiple conservation actions have been taking place for this species.
The Chinese alligator has been a part of Chinese literature since the third century. In the late 13th century, Marco Polo became the first person outside of China to write about it. In some writings, the Chinese alligator has been associated with the Chinese dragon. Many pieces of evidence suggest that the Chinese alligator was an inspiration for the Chinese dragon.
^Rio, Jonathan P.; Mannion, Philip D. (September 6, 2021). "Phylogenetic analysis of a new morphological dataset elucidates the evolutionary history of Crocodylia and resolves the long-standing gharial problem". PeerJ. 9: e12094. doi:10.7717/peerj.12094. PMC 8428266. PMID 34567843.
^ abJiang, H.-X.; Wu, X. (2018). "Alligator sinensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T867A3146005. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T867A3146005.en. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
^"Appendices". CITES. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
^Wu, Ziaobang; Zhou, Kaiya; Wang, Yiquan; Zhu, Weiquan (October 2003). "Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of Chinese alligator, Alligator sinensis, and phylogeny of crocodiles". Chinese Science Bulletin. 48 (19): 2050–2054. Bibcode:2003ChSBu..48.2050W. doi:10.1360/03wc0076. S2CID 86890007. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
^"The largest group of Chinese alligators released to the wild". UNDP in China. June 8, 2016. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
^Perry, Tony (July 4, 2012). "San Diego Zoo gets two Chinese alligators in preservation effort". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
The Chinesealligator (Alligator sinensis; simplified Chinese: 鼍; traditional Chinese: 鼉; pinyin: tuó), also known as the Yangtze alligator (simplified...
the American alligator (A. mississippiensis) and the Chinesealligator (A. sinensis). Additionally, several extinct species of alligator are known from...
in the genus Alligator, and is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinesealligator. Adult male American alligators measure 3.4 to...
The alligator drum (simplified Chinese: 鼍鼓; traditional Chinese: 鼉鼓; pinyin: tuó gǔ) is a type of drum once used in Neolithic China, made from clay and...
Alligator meat is the meat from alligators that is for consumption. It has been used both historically and in contemporary times in various cuisines of...
of A. munensis was discovered, it was tentatively assigned to the Chinesealligator before being recognized as a distinct species. Although the two are...
identified four reliable theories on the origin of the Chinese dragon: snakes, Chinesealligators, thunder worship and nature worship. They traditionally...
dwellers, and the Chinesealligator is found in slow-moving, turbid rivers flowing across China's floodplains. The American alligator is an adaptable species...
(about 53 million to about 65 million years ago). The Chinesealligator split from the American alligator about 33 million years ago and likely descended from...
crocodile and alligator skin, and other goods. Many species of both alligators and crocodiles are farmed internationally. In Louisiana alone, alligator farming...
The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a euryhaline ray-finned fish in the clade Ginglymodi of the infraclass Holostei /hoʊˈlɒstiaɪ/, being most...
Alligator hailensis, or Haile alligator, is a large, extinct species of Alligator known from the early Pleistocene of Florida. It is named after the town...
the Chinesealligator, the narrow-ridged finless porpoise, and also was the home of the now extinct Yangtze river dolphin (or baiji) and Chinese paddlefish...
Alligatoridae. It is closely related to the living American alligator and Chinesealligator, as shown in the cladogram below: Paleontology portal Rio,...
two primary lineages within the Alligatoridae family, the other being alligators. Caimans inhabit Mexico and Central and South America from marshes and...
Alligatoridae. It is related to the living American alligator and Chinesealligator, as shown in the cladogram below: The average measurements for the...
on July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2017. Alligators, River Dolphins, Giant Salamanders In China - China | Facts And Details Archived 2010-11-23 at the...
States; in the latter, it is sometimes mislabeled as the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Invasive populations have become established in...
The ChineseAlligator: Ecology, Behavior, Conservation, and Culture, which talks about how the Chinesealligator is very important to the Chinese culture...
Alligator prenasalis is an extinct species of alligator from the Late Eocene period. It is well known, with many fossils having been collected from the...
Alligator thomsoni is an extinct species of alligator that existed during the Early Miocene period. Their range was principally in what is now known as...
as some other species. American crocodiles coexist with the American alligator in Florida, and with the smaller spectacled caiman within Central America...
spoonbill China has a big variety of reptiles including the Chinesealligator and the Yangtze giant softshell turtle. Chinesealligator (Alligator sinensis)...
evolution of the clade: once in caimans and once in alligators. Alligator sinensis, the ChineseAlligator, has a snout that is somewhat blunt and could be...
the Chinesealligator (Alligator sinensis, simplified Chinese: 扬子鳄; traditional Chinese: 揚子鱷; pinyin: yángzǐ'è), also known as the Yangtze alligator, China...
predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, which includes true crocodiles, the alligators and caimans, and the gharial and false gharial. A member of this order...
include all extant members of the order Crocodilia, which includes the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae), the gharial and false gharial (family...
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