Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis); this individual is in a zoo.
Image: Mint0ri, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Reptiles & Amphibians
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2018 global assessment of Alligator sinensis says Critically EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The Chinese alligator is a small, shy alligator found only in eastern China — one of just two alligator species. It is assessed as Critically Endangered in the wild.
Far smaller than the American alligator, it spends winters in burrows.
Range & habitat
The lower Yangtze River region of eastern China.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Loss of wetland habitat to agriculture
- A tiny wild range
- Past persecution
Why it matters
As one of only two alligator species and a survivor of the densely populated Yangtze basin, the Chinese alligator depends on wetland restoration and reintroduction from captive stock.
Gallery
Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis).
Image: J. Patrick Fischer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Chinese Alligator
- IUCN Red List — look up Chinese Alligator (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web