🐾 Land🐟 AquaticCare difficulty: AdvancedLegal complexity: High — restricted in many states
Chinese crocodile lizard
Shinisaurus crocodilurus
The Chinese crocodile lizard is a semi-aquatic reptile named for the crocodile-like ridges along its tail, restricted to cool forest streams in southern China and northern Vietnam. Habitat loss and collection for the pet and traditional-medicine trades have left it endangered.
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Quick facts
| Size | Semi-aquatic lizard ~40 cm including the crocodile-like ridged tail. |
| Lifespan | 10–15 years |
| Native region | Southern China and northern Vietnam |
| Climate | ⛅ Subtropical |
| Genus | Shinisaurus |
Habitat & enclosure
Lives along slow, cool, shaded streams and pools in subtropical evergreen forest, where it basks on overhanging branches and dives into water to escape danger. Its small, fragmented range and reliance on clean stream habitat make it sensitive to disturbance. It is CITES-listed; wild collection is a documented threat, so responsible interest means supporting conservation rather than acquisition.
Diet
A carnivore feeding on aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, tadpoles, and small prey near its stream habitat. Managed captive populations in zoos are fed appropriate invertebrate diets.
Behavior & temperament
Largely sedentary and well-camouflaged, it can remain motionless for long periods and even slow its metabolism in cool conditions. Females give birth to live young. It is sometimes kept by specialist keepers, but its conservation status argues for captive-bred provenance and against wild-sourced animals.
Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — conservation profile (pending DVM/biologist review)