| Size |
Adults reach lengths up to 6.5 feet. |
| Weight |
Adults can weigh up to 88 lbs. |
| Conservation Status |
On the 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Chinese alligator is listed as Critically Endangered. |
| Diet |
Chinese alligators are carnivorous. The alligators have blunt teeth, which they use to crush their prey. In the wild these alligators consume mainly aquatic invertebrates such as clams, snails and insects but they will also prey upon fish and occassionaly small mammals such as rats and ducks. At the Zoo the Chinese alligator diet will consist of mice and fish. |
| Geographic Range |
Restricted to lower Yangtze River area in China. |
| Where to find me in the Zoo |
Solitude Pond in the warmer months and the Reptile House in the winter. |
Note: Description below should include Longevity, Behavior, and Reproduction information
Behavior
The Chinese alligator is a secretive species that spends nearly six months of the year inactive in a subterranean burrow near the waters edge. Usually a nighttime hunter it feeds primarily on fish, mussels, and snails.
Reproduction
Nesting usually takes place in July or August. The female deposits between 10 and 40 eggs into a nest mound that she constructs from decaying vegetation. The eggs hatch in about 70 days.
Rocky: Male, hatched July 23, 1996 at Houston Zoo. He arrived at the Zoo on April 30, 2008.
Enrichment
Adoption Information
Featured Foster Parent
Fun Facts
- This animal is critically endangered. Probably fewer than 150 individuals are left in the wild.
- The Chinese alligator is a secretive species that spends nearly six months of the year inactive in a subterranean burrow near the water’s edge.
- Compared to the saltwater crocodile and Nile crocodile, the Chinese alligator is a docile species that does not pose any serious threat to humans.
Conservation
Introductions
Animal Lingo
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