Chinese Alligator Diet
- Chinese alligators' teeth are specially adapted to crush the shells of their primary prey: snails, mussels and other shellfish and water-dwelling invertebrates.
- Chinese alligators also eat fish. They swim rapidly, steering with their tails, and are able to seal off their noses and throats in order to eat underwater.
- Chinese alligators also eat ducks, including domestic fowl--which has been a cause for conflict between the alligators and Chinese farmers.
- Chinese alligators also run rapidly on land and prey on small mammals, particularly rats. In fact, this dietary choice may have contributed to their population decline. According to the Absolute Astronomy website, it's possible that Chinese alligators may have died from eating rats that were poisoned by farmers.
- Chinese alligators are fairly small, with adults averaging between 4 and 6 feet long and less than 100 lbs. They're usually black, sometimes with yellow markings, and have armored bone plates on their bellies as well as their backs. They also have upturned snouts and bony plates on their upper eyelids.
