Inhabiting temperate regions, the Chinese alligator spends the winter hibernating in complex underground burrow systems (4). Alligators emerge as the days begin to heat up in May and nesting occurs from July to August (4). Females reach sexual maturity at 4 - 5 years old and lay about 10 - 50 eggs per clutch on mound-nests constructed from plant materials (2).  Alligators hunt at night and the Chinese alligator's diet consists mainly of aquatic molluscs such as snails and mussels as well as fish (2); incidental waterbirds and small mammals are also taken (6).