In 1947, it was suggested to group the Chinese alligator in a separate genus from its American relative, due to the Chinese alligator's bony plate on its upper eyelid. Fauvel wrote a detailed description of the species in a book titled Alligators in China: Their History, Description & Identification, including information about its historical account. The genus Alligator had previously contained only the American alligator since its creation in 1807. The Chinese alligator was described by French naturalist Albert-Auguste Fauvel in 1879 as Alligator sinensis though Fauvel only noticed mentions of them in Chinese literature since about 222–227 CE. I can not, of course, guess its species but I nevertheless think the fact worth recording, as evidence that a species of this group does occur in China. They made so much money by showing it that they refused to sell it. It was a young crocodile about four feet long, which they kept in tepid water. In February, 1869, some Chinese were exhibiting in the native city of Shanghai what they called a dragon, which they declared had been dug out of a hole in the province of Shense. In 1869, Robert Swinhoe saw a Chinese alligator in an exhibit in Shanghai and wrote the following year: Chinese alligators were later thought to give Buddhist priests merit if the priests were to buy alligators held in captivity and release them. Unlike Polo, Martini wrote his description using information from Chinese literature. In 1656, Martino Martini, a priest, wrote that the Chinese alligator lived in the river Yangtze and was "much feared by the local residents". He stated that it was found in lakes, rivers, and springs in the province "Karazan". He said that the alligator lived in "caverns" in the day and hunted at night, and that humans targeted its meat and skin, with its gall bladder having multiple medical purposes. Marco Polo was the first person outside of China to write about the alligator, when he came to China and saw it in the late 1200s. Many pieces of evidence suggest that the Chinese alligator was an inspiration for the Chinese dragon.Ĭhinese alligators were mentioned in Chinese literature very early for example, in the Classic of Poetry, whose poems were composed between the 11th and 7th centuries BCE. 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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