A Chinese crocodile lizard with red-orange markings on a mossy rock. — Photo: Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chinese Crocodile Lizard

Shinisaurus crocodilurus

A semiaquatic lizard from China and Vietnam with crocodile-like tail scales that can sit motionless for hours.

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About the Chinese Crocodile Lizard

Chinese crocodile lizards are gray-brown with red-orange markings on the throat and sides, and two rows of tough scales along the tail make them look like little crocodiles. They live in subtropical forests of southern China and Vietnam, near ponds and slow streams with thick plants. They dive to escape predators and hunt snails, tadpoles, insects and worms.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Shinisaurus crocodilurus^[1]
Lifespan: 10 or more years in human care.^[1]
Diet: Invertebrates such as snails, tadpoles, insects, worms and larvae.^[1]
Habitat: Subtropical forests near ponds and slow streams.^[1]
Where it lives: Southern China and Vietnam.^[1]
Group life: Territorial. Active by day.^[1]
Babies: 2 to 12 live young after a 9-month pregnancy.^[1]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2014).^[2]

Fun facts

It's called the 'lizard of great sleepiness.'^[1]
It can stay underwater for a long time to escape predators.^[1]
Males get brighter colors in the breeding season.^[1]

Vocabulary

semiaquatic: Living partly in water and partly on land.
viviparous: Giving birth to live young instead of laying eggs.
precocial: Born able to move around and feed itself soon after.
cold-blooded: Having a body temperature that changes with the surroundings; also called ectothermic.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Reptile Discovery CenterSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Chinese crocodile lizard.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/chinese-crocodile-lizard (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Shinisaurus crocodilurus (Chinese Crocodile Lizard).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/57287221/217811129 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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