i$. C. Dunton, New York Aquarium. 
CHINESE ALLIGATOR (Alligator sinensis). Length: 6 feet. Range: Lower Yangtze 
River Valley of China. 
it a virtuous act to buy alligators from their captors and set them free. 
Many tourists seeking alligator trophies at the local markets have been 
disappointed for this reason alone. 
The natives use its scales for a medicine which is supposed to cure 
diseases of the heart and intestines, fevers, nosebleeds and toothaches. At 
one time the skin was used for drum heads, and the thick tails are still some¬ 
times used for food. Popular belief among the Cantonese was that the head 
of the alligator could be cut off and dried, the muzzle broken, and the teeth 
pulled, all before the animal died. 
The Chinese used to exhibit alligators at fairs, representing them as 
“dragons.” 
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