Pic I took of a Chinese Alligator during my visit to the Saint Louis Zoo
A lot of people do not know there are actually two species of Alligator: the American Alligator and the lesser-known Chinese Alligator. I have been fortunate enough to have been working with alligators since I was 13 years old. Matter of fact, “Soni” our 5 foot American Alligator keeps me quite busy! I have always been fascinated with the lesser-known Chinese Alligator. These mysterious smaller versions of their cousins in America grow to be 4-5 feet long. Once abundant in China they are now restricted to a few small ponds near the lower Yangtze River. They are considered critically endangered and are close to extinction within 15 years. Luckily, there has been captive breeding in China and the United States which is help saving the species from vanishing.
For more information about the Chinese Alligator visit this link: http://corbinmaxey.com/http://www.stlzoo.org/animals/abouttheanimals/reptiles/alligatorsandcrocodiles/chinesealligator.htm