A Preliminary Study on Behavioral Adaptation to the Thermal Environment of the Chinese Alligator

Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is endangered species unique to China. As ectotherms, their survival is strongly affected by environmental temperature. Clarifying the activity patterns in response to environmental temperature changes will help to formulate effective protection measures. By monitoring the environmental temperature and observing its behavior in semi-nature habitats, we constructed the microenvironment temperature data set and the annual activity spectrum of the Chinese alligator. Then we analyzed the correlationship between the active location and the environmental temperature and found that the temperature difference between different environments may be important to regulate their activity. In response to the temperature difference, Chinese alligator adapted to the environment by switching between terrestrial, water, and caves. In spring, when the average daily water temperature rises to 8.5°C, which is higher than the soil temperature in the cave, alligators wake up from hibernation. When the temperature rises to 25°C in summer, the breeding season starts. Meanwhile, when the daytime air temperature is higher than the average daily water temperature, the Chinese alligator avoids the damage of high temperature by diving and other behaviors in caves. In autumn and winter, when it drops below 17.5°C, which is lower than the cave soil temperature, alligators gradually enter a state of hibernation to adapt to the cold climate. In addition, the natural habitat of Chinese alligator has a strong thermal buffer capacity, suggesting that natural ponds are the best. The depth of the pond more than 105 cm or 110 cm in summer and the depth more than 110 cm in winter will be helpful to facilitate the survival of Chinese alligators.