The Chinese alligator is a crocodile belonging to the family Alligatoridae and one of the smallest crocodile species in the world. The alligator is famous for its very small size and endangered living status, and is listed as a national first-level protected animal. It is a species endemic to China and has important scientific research value.

< p>There are records about the turtle as early as in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. The "Daya·Lingtai" in the "Book of Songs", a collection of poems from the Spring and Autumn Period, also contains the poem "Gugu Pengpeng". This means that when the shrew calls, it makes a "bang, bang" sound like a drum. Later, records about alligators were found in classics such as "Shuowen Jiezi" by Xu Shen of the Eastern Han Dynasty, "Natural History" by Zhang Hua of the Western Jin Dynasty, and "Compendium of Materia Medica" by Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty.

< p>It is the smallest, slowest and docile crocodile among the existing crocodiles. It is a close relative of the Mississippi crocodile in the United States. Their recent ancestors can be traced back to the Cretaceous Period 80 million years ago, and their distant ancestors can be traced back to the Triassic Period 200 million years ago.

01

Life habits

Alligators usually live alone and have a fierce temperament, especially at night. Prefers to be active at night and hide in caves during the day. Fish, shrimp, molluscs and insects are the main food sources. Female alligators lay eggs between July and August every year, and the young alligators hatch in September of the following year.

< p>According to historical records, in the early stages of evolution, the alligator spread as far as Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Shandong, and as far away as Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and Shanghai. It is typically distributed along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and its surrounding wetlands. Reptile species, whose families flourish and are numerous.

On the earth today, it is difficult to find a species that has survived longer than the alligator. It is a reptile unique to the Yangtze River Basin in China. It has an evolutionary history of more than 150 million years and belongs to the same era as dinosaurs.

Alligators like to be quiet and often live in seclusion in caves during the day and go out to look for food at night. However, it also comes out during the day and especially likes to bask in the sun on the shore and beach near the cave. It often closes its eyes tightly, crawls and lies motionless, and is in a semi-sleep state, giving people the illusion of slow movement. However, when it encounters enemies or finds food, it will immediately swing its thick tail vigorously from side to side and quickly sink to the bottom of the water to escape enemies or chase food. Its favorite foods are snails, river mussels, small fish, shrimps, water birds, hares, water snakes and other animals. The alligator eats a lot and can store a large amount of absorbed nutrients in its body. Therefore, it has a strong ability to withstand hunger and can survive a long hibernation period.

Alligators dig burrows and live in rivers, lakes and ponds. They are ferocious and can quickly attack prey within 3 meters. They feed on various mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and crustaceans. They mate in June and lay eggs from July to August. Each clutch can lay more than 20 eggs. The eggs are laid in the grass, covered with weeds, and protected by the female crocodile. They are hatched by natural temperatures. The incubation period is about 60 days. Have hibernation habits.

The alligator is the only crocodile with the habit of hibernating. It hibernates half the year and is active half the year. It begins hibernating at the end of October and does not wake up until early April. Male and female crocodiles only crawl together during the breeding season and live separately during the non-breeding season. Male crocodiles will make calls when they are in estrus, and female crocodiles will also make corresponding calls, which has the characteristics of one call and one response.

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Endangered status

The alligator is an extremely rare crocodile species in the world and is considered a critically endangered species. The Chinese government has listed the alligator as a national first-level protected animal and prohibits its hunting. In order to save this endangered species, China has established alligator reserves and breeding centers in multiple locations and increased its numbers through artificial breeding.

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Cultural Symbol

The Alligator is known as a "living fossil" because of its unique appearance and survivability, and is of great value to the study of paleontology and geology. In traditional Chinese culture, the alligator is also known as the "earth dragon" or the "pig dragon" and has rich legends and cultural connotations. To sum up, the alligator is not only a unique existence in nature, but also an important part of Chinese culture and ecosystem.