Name:  Chinese Alligator

Range:
Eastern China.

Habitat:
Natural habitat is in rivers, marshes, and streams; now mostly confined to ditches on ag land.

Description:
Small in comparison to the American alligator, males average about 5 feet and females 4.5 feet. Robust head with a tapered snout and blunt teeth.

Adaptations/Habitat:
Its blunt teeth are excellent tools for crushing shelled animals like clams and snails.

Breeding/Growth:
Mating rituals typically occur in summer; females bulid nests and lay eggs (10-40 at a time). Young hatch in September and mothers carry them from nest to water.

Diet:
Varied: includes crustaceans, insects, fish, and the occasional small mammal.

Exhibit:
Chinese Alligator

Notes:
Unlke the American alligator, the Chinese alligator is considered critically endangered. The main threat they face is habitat loss.