The Chinese alligator (scientific name: Alligator sinensis) is a small, critically endangered species of alligator native to eastern China. Here’s a description of the Chinese alligator along with the counties where they are found:

Description: Chinese alligators are smaller than their American counterparts, typically reaching lengths of about 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 feet) and weighing around 36 to 45 kilograms (80 to 100 pounds) as adults. They have a robust body covered in armored scales, with a broad snout and powerful jaws lined with sharp teeth. Their coloration is typically dark brown or black with yellowish undersides.

These alligators are well adapted to their freshwater habitat, which includes rivers, streams, marshes, and rice paddies. They are primarily nocturnal hunters, feeding on a variety of prey including fish, amphibians, crustaceans, and small mammals.

Chinese alligators are social animals and are often found in groups, especially during the breeding season. They are known to construct burrows along the banks of water bodies, which they use for shelter and nesting.

Counties where they are found:

1. China: The Chinese alligator is found in a small region of eastern China, primarily in the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. They inhabit the low-lying wetlands and marshes along the Yangtze River basin.

The Chinese alligator’s range has significantly contracted over the past century due to habitat loss, pollution, and hunting pressure. By the 1970s, their wild population had declined to dangerously low levels, prompting conservation efforts to save the species from extinction. Today, Chinese alligators are protected by law in China, and efforts are underway to conserve their remaining habitat, establish captive breeding programs, and reintroduce them into the wild. Despite these efforts, the Chinese alligator remains one of the rarest and most endangered crocodilian species in the world.