Chinese crocodile lizard

Shinisaurus crocodilurus

Range

Southern China, including Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hunan, and northeastern Vietnam, including Quang Ninh Province.

Habitat

A semiaquatic lizard of forest and wetland habitats.

Diet

Carnivorous; feeds on aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates, including crustaceans, fish, tadpoles, aquatic snails and worms.

Facts

• Its crocodilian appearance comes from a gray-brown body, a yellow-tan underside, red-orange throat and side markings, banded tail, and two rigid rows of enlarged tail scales.
• This semiaquatic lizard hunts small freshwater animals, from crustaceans and aquatic snails to fish and tadpoles.
• The species is assessed as Endangered, and its recorded population trend is decreasing.

Research sources

• GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
• ReptTraits — Shinisaurus crocodilurus
• Shinisaurus crocodilurus | The Reptile Database
• Vertebral microanatomy in squamates: structure, growth and ecological correlates
• Chinese crocodile lizard