![]() ![]() In some writings, the Chinese alligator has been associated with the Chinese dragon. In the late 1200s, Marco Polo became the first person outside of China to write about it. The Chinese alligator has been a part of Chinese literature since the third century. Listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, multiple conservation actions have been taking place for this species. 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. Originally living as far away from its current range as Japan, the species previously had a wide range and population, but beginning in 5000 BC, multiple threats, such as habitat destruction, caused the species' population and range to decline. 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. Captive specimens have reached age 70, and wild specimens can live past 50. A vocal species, adults bellow during the mating season and young vocalize to communicate with their parents and other juveniles. The species is an opportunistic feeder, primarily eating fish and invertebrates. Mating occurs in early summer, with females most commonly producing 20–30 eggs, which are smaller than those of any other crocodilian. It brumates in burrows in winter and is nocturnal in summer. ![]() 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. mississippiensis) are the only living species in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. The Chinese alligator ( Alligator sinensis simplified Chinese: 鼍 traditional Chinese: 鼉 pinyin: tuó), also known as the Yangtze alligator ( simplified Chinese: 扬子鳄 traditional Chinese: 揚子 鱷 pinyin: yángzǐ'è), China alligator, or historically the muddy dragon, is a crocodilian endemic to China. ![]()
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