Least ConcernBlack Caiman
Melanosuchus niger
One of the 6 crocodilians on WAnimals
Reptiles · Crocodilia · Alligatoridae
Alligator sinensis
At extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild.
It is the only crocodilian genuinely adapted to a seasonal temperate climate, digging extensive underground burrows where it spends several winter months in a prolonged dormancy (brumation).
Weight
23 kg – 38.5 kg
Size
1.5 m – 2.1 m
Life expectancy
50 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Estimated population
The wild population is down to a few hundred individuals in the lower Yangtze, against several thousand kept in breeding centres.
Sources consulted: Dimensions.com · Animal Diversity Web · Britannica · Animal of the World Wiki · AnAge (genomics.senescence.info) · A-Z Animals · Animalia.bio · Smithsonian National Zoo · Grokipedia · PMC (semi-wild habitats study)
Best time: June to September in the lower Yangtze, when it is active; from October to March it stays torpid inside its burrows.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Chinese Alligator — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The chinese alligator is classified as critically endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
Based on what we already know about chinese alligator.
