Chinese Alligator Skull Replica
$210.00
Its head is robust, more so than that of the American alligator, with a bony septum dividing its nostrils. The skull is an anatomical biololgy study replica.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Chinese alligator skull replica measures 7.9 x 3.0 x 3.5 inches. Chinese alligator skull replica museum-quality polyurethane resin cast of original specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Made in USA.
The Chinese alligator or Alligator sinensis is also known as the yangtze, China alligator, or historically the muddy dragon, is a crocodilian endemic to is native region of the Yangtze river in China. Dark gray or black in color with a fully armored body, the Chinese alligator grows to 5 to 7 ft. in length and weighs 80 to 100 lb. as an adult.
The Chinese alligator brumates in burrows in winter and is nocturnal in summer. Mating occurs in early summer, with females most commonly producing 20 to 30 eggs, which are smaller than those of any other crocodilian.
They are an opportunistic feeder, primarily eating fish and invertebrates. Alligator sinensis are a vocal species, adults bellow during the mating season and young vocalize to communicate with their parents and other juveniles. Captive specimens have reached age 70, and wild specimens can live to over 50.
Living in bodies of fresh water, their range is restricted to six regions in the province of Anhui, as well as possibly the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Chinese Alligator originally living as far away from its current range as Japan, they 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.
The population in the wild was about 1000 in the 1970s, decreased to below 130 in 2001, and grew after 2003, with its population being about 300 as of 2017.
Alligator sinensis are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, multiple conservation actions have been taking place for the Chinese Alligator.
Scientific classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Reptilia
- Order: Crocodilia
- Family: Alligatoridae
- Genus: Alligator
- Species: A. sinensis
- Binomial name: Alligator sinensis (Fauvel, 1879)
- Temporal range: Pliocene–Recent, 3.6–0 Ma
- Conservation status: Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Expand your natural history collection with our american alligator, alligator snapping turtle, or Chinese giant salamander. Shop for more museum-quality replicas in our reptile store.
Additional information
| Weight | 5.0 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 7.9 × 3.0 × 3.5 in |
| National Alligator Day - May 29th | National Alligator Day is celebrated annually on May 29 to raise awareness of the importance of alligators and their need for conservation. Alligators are the state reptile of Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and can be found throughout the Southern United States in freshwater lakes, marshes, swamps, rivers, canals, and the Everglades. |
