Chinese Crocodile Lizards are considered miniature versions of crocodiles. Their scaly, ridge-parted tails make them well worthy of the crocodile name.
These colorful, semi-aquatic creatures are native to Southern China and Northern Vietnam’s slow-moving streams and freshwater pools.
The guide below dives into more detail about this marvelous creature by sharing 14 fun facts about the animal that you’ve probably never heard of.
Chinese Crocodile Lizard Key Highlights
- Widely considered one of the most colorful lizard species, Chinese Crocodile Lizards are the only surviving member of their genus, the Shinisauridae. This genus is said to have survived for 100 million years up till now.
- They’re notoriously lazy, having been nicknamed “The lizard of great sleepiness” as they’re only active between the morning and afternoon hours. But they do become super active during the breeding season.
General Info About Chinese Crocodile Lizard
| Habitat: | Streams, ponds and swamps |
| Location: | Southern China and Northern Vietnam |
| Lifespan: | Wild: 10 years, Captivity: 12 years |
| Weight: | 1 to 1.4 lbs |
| Diet: | Small fish, tadpoles, aquatic insects and terrestrial worms |
| Predators: | Snakes, raptors and birds of prey |
| Size: | 15 – 17 inches |
| Top Speed: | Unknown |
Learn more by reading our ultimate guide of the Chinese Crocodile Lizard profile!
Top 14 Facts About Chinese Crocodile Lizard
1. The Chinese Crocodile Lizard Can Care for Itself From Birth
Chinese Crocodile Lizards have a unique ability to feed and care for themselves just a few minutes after they’re born.
In fact, their parents often disperse a few weeks after giving birth, leaving the young ones to fend for themselves. Scientifically, this is known as being precocial.
2. The Males are Larger and More Colorful than the Females
Male and Female Chinese Crocodile Lizards are sexually dimorphic, meaning that they both look slightly different.
This actually works out in favor of the males, who are slightly larger and more colorful than the females.
3. Males Compete for The Female’s Attention During Breeding Season
The color difference between females and males actually intensifies during the breeding season. As male Chinese Crocodile Lizards shed their old scales to reveal more vivid and vibrant scales designed to attract the attention of a female for mating.
Males will often flaunt their new scales at females to compete for their attention and eventually breed with them.
4. A Chinese Crocodile Lizard is More Likely to Pick Flight Over Fight
These colorful semi-aquatic creatures have a built-in flight-over-fight mechanism that activates whenever they sense a predator.
They will bite, defecate, and even hiss to get away from their predator and escape into the water, where they can hold their breath for hours on end.
5. They Give Birth to Live Young
The Chinese Crocodile Lizard is one of the few living lizards that give birth to live young instead of producing eggs.
At birth, these lizards are colored deep brown across their entire body except for their forehead and snout, which are colored light tan.
6. Chinese Crocodile Lizards are The Last Surviving Member of Their Genus
Chinese Crocodile Lizards are believed to be the last living remnants of their genus and family, the Shinisauridae. This genus is known to have survived for over 100 million years.
7. They’re Listed as Endangered
Unfortunately, we may be seeing the end of the Shinisauridae genus as we know it because the Chinese Crocodile Lizard has officially been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation.
Loss of habitat from deforestation is the primary reason for the decline of the Chinese Crocodile Lizard population.
Fishing methods like electrofishing, where fish are stunned through electrocution, are also directly killing hundreds of crocodile lizards. The German scientist Thomas Ziegler, who first discovered the species, estimates that there are only 200 left in the wild.
8. The Chinese Crocodile Lizard’s Powerful Tail is the Secret to Its Survival
We mentioned earlier how Crocodile Lizards have a built in flight over fight mechanism that allows them to escape predators.
Well, their powerful tails actually help them quite a bit in their survival. In fact, it is what allows them to swim for long distances and push off straight into the deep water.
9. Females Go Through a 9-Month Gestation Period
After a lengthy courting process involving the males courting females using their vivid, colorful appearances, Crocodile Lizards mate during the July-August season.
The females then go through a lengthy 9-month gestation period. Female crocodile lizards give birth to a litter of young lizards, which can range anywhere from 2 to 12.
10. They Hibernate During The Cold Season
A Chinese Crocodile Lizard’s favorite pastime is lying down and basking in the sun on a log, rock or branch.
However, as soon as the winter season starts approaching, these creatures start huddling up in groups to hide in tree holes or small crevices in rocks. Once they’re all gathered up, they hibernate for the rest of the winter, known as brumation in this case.
11. The Chinese Crocodile Lizard Prefers Solitude
Like every other lizard species, Crocodile Lizards prefer spending most of their lives in solitude. It is only during the breeding months of July and August, or their annual hibernation period, that you’ll see these semi-aquatic creatures huddled together with their mates.
Otherwise, you’ll always find them relaxing alone in a pond or on top of a rock, sleeping the day away.
12. They’re Popularly Referred to as The “Lizard of Great Sleepiness”
Speaking of sleeping, the Chinese Crocodile Lizard has been affectionately nicknamed the “lizard of great sleepiness” due to them only being active from morning to afternoon.
They’ll spend the remainder of the day resting in a crevice or on top of a log. In fact, the only time they’ll move is when they sense a predator.
13. Some People Believe They Can Cure Insomnia
Since Chinese Crocodile Lizards sleep for most of the day, many people believe that it can cure insomnia. The fact that it doesn’t respond to any stimuli during this period has also made the myth worse.
Needless to say this has made the creature quite valuable in the medicine trade, even though there’s no scientific proof to back up this claim.
14. They Exhibit a Rare “Shivering” Behavior
Chinese Crocodile Lizards are known to shiver from time to time. Strangely enough, their shivering isn’t caused by the cold but is actually a stress response for when they detect predators in their vicinity.
Learn more by reading our ultimate guide of the Chinese Crocodile Lizard profile!
