Chinese alligator - Chichi

Scientific name :

Alligator sinensis

Common name :

Chinese alligator

Native to :

the Yangtze river in China

Maximum size :

2 meters

Weight :

40 kg

Conservation status :

Critically Endangered (CR)

Distribution :

East of China (habitat reduce to a single river)

Reproduction :

the female lays about twenty eggs, once a year, in a mound nest which she makes using plant debris.

Diet :

carnivorous (small mammals, etc.)

Characteristics :

this small alligator is solitary: the alligator jealously guards its territory in the water! During the Chinese winters, which can be particularly cold, it digs deep holes in the banks of the river where it shelters while waiting for a sunnier weather.

Location in the Tropical Reserve :

outside