here be dragons

W hile dragons are the stuff of imagination， China boasts tangible—and substantial—reptilia that can both chill the blood and tug the heart strings of empathetic animal lovers. Reptiles come in many forms in China， including grand survivors and niche monsters. From one of the only species of alligator in the world to turtles from antiquity， China has a rich diversity of reptilian giants trying to eke out an existence in the modern world； however， with habitats disappearing， prey dying off or just ending up in a local diner， the size of these animals is largely a curse. Many of these often critically-endangered beasts are under threat of becoming just as mythical as their legendary cousin， the dragon. Spine-chilling snakes and leviathan lizards may seem scary， but they are far more important to a delicate ecosystem than， say， a web designer. However， while the Chinese alligator boasts less than a few hundred， for some reason， web designers abound. Tragically， there were many animals that could have been included in this list but no longer exist， such as the Yangtze soft-shelled turtle. Hitting the scales at around 100 kilograms， it deserves a mention. Sadly， this turtle likely no longer exists in China in the wild （with only four known to exist in captivity all over the world） and is in serious danger of becoming extinct forever due to habitat destruction and poaching. So， while many of these large reptiles may be in danger of fading into history， remember that earth’s truly cold-blooded monsters appear to be in catastrophic abundance. Nevertheless， a few of these large reptiles have survived humanity’s march. Pay attention； they might not be around for long.

more commonly known in English as the water monitor （水巨蜥 shu@jx～）， this animal is endemic to many countries， including China， and thanks to their extraordinary ability to adapt and eat just about anything—living or dead—they exist in strong numbers and in a variety of habitats in Southeast Asia. Though it’s arguably the smallest on the list， the average adult weight is about 20 kilograms. It can be found in burrows， swimming， on land and even in trees. That’s bad luck for people who can’t see the beauty in this scaly survivor and would rather run； it’s even worse luck that this lizard can likely outrun them with its powerful legs. This comes in handy because， when hunting， they tend to chase prey rather than ambush like most reptiles. While not necessarily dangerous to humans， these animals do have a reputation of having a nasty temper， hissing， opening their mouth and flicking their tongue at threats. With its amazing adaptability， it is one of the most common large lizards in Asia. Such malleability means they are in no danger of going extinct any time soon， but the story in China is somewhat more harrowing. The China Species Red List （《中國物種紅色名錄》Zh4nggu5 Wzh6ng H5ngs- M！ngl） claims this creature is critically endangered in China， on the brink of extinction in the wild. Despite claws for climbing， strong legs for hunting and a huge tail for whipping threats， it seems the one adaptation this creature is missing is one that guards against the GDP.

as one of only two species of large alligator in the world and the only large crocodilian native to China， this armored reptile is perhaps less well-known （and smaller） than its North American cousin， but they are nonetheless fascinating and the closest thing China has to modern dragons. It is the only crocodilian to hibernate， and， unlike those in Florida， Chinese alligators are completely armored， including their underbelly. Their relatively small size prevents them from being a danger to humans—despite their fierce reputation in the West. However， judging from the character 鼉龍 （tu5l5ng）， this alligator was mentioned in the famous Journey to the West as the rebellious nephew of the Dragon King of the West Sea； he disguises himself as a boatman to sink the ship and eat the pig and the monk， thwarted by the Monkey King. Perhaps the most interesting mention is a saucy tale in In Search of the Supernatural （《搜神記》S4ush9nj#） from the 4th Century when a man invites a panicked， sexy woman onto his boat for bawdy thrills； the next morning he wakes up to discover the woman he slept with was actually the spirit of a Yangtze alligator. Unfortunately， all of this biological wonderment and mythological acclaim hasn’t helped their survival. It is quite possibly the single most endangered large crocodilian in the world due to habitat degradation and being hunted to near extinction. Appearing on the IUCN Red List as “critically endangered”（one step from “extinct in the wild”）， this species is in big trouble. More than 10，000 of these alligators live at the Anhui Research Center for Chinese Alligator Reproduction near Xuancheng. The disturbing news is that many of them are raised for their meat， largely due to there not being enough natural habitat left. Current estimates are at 100 to 200 in the wild.

This is often called Cantor’s giant soft-shelled turtle， but long before it was discovered by Western science， it was well-known in China. In Journey to the West the protagonists were carried across a river on its back， and legend has it that a general in the Warring States Period （475B.C.-221B.C.） used alligators and these turtles to build a bridge to march his armies across. The reptile’s strange appearance is due to the fact that this 50-…kilogram monster spends most of its life just beneath the surface of a thin layer of mud. Even though it doesn’t look like much， this creature has a secret talent for catching prey： a lethal strike， an extremely fast attack that can snatch quick moving prey. However， this marvel is often a victim itself， frequently from poachers looking for a slow， easy target. Beyond its legendary good taste， traditional belief has it that consuming this particular freshwater turtle can make you strong. Once， long ago， Chinese people kept these strange looking animals as pets in their gardens， but now they are so rare that even catching a glimpse of one is newsworthy. The all too familiar story of illegal trade and habitat destruction hold true for this lonely animal as well as many of the other large reptiles in China.

despite what the name might suggest， these reptiles are endemic to South China and are likely the python of many Chinese legends. Often caricatured as a veracious beast， Chinese myth doesn’t think too highly of these particular snakes. In one myth， a python/dragon named Bashe （巴蛇） swallowed elephants whole， a myth that inspired the phrase 巴蛇吞象 （b` sh9 t$n xi3ng） which literally means “snake gulping down an elephant”， an idiom used to describe insatiable greed. Much like the water monitor， these snakes are survivors， becoming an invasive species in areas such as North America. But despite the myth surrounding these modern dragons， even exceptionally large pythons are afraid of humans； however these monsters have deadly potential， meaning—as if you needed to be told—it’s important not to manhandle or mistreat them. Of course， there are those who keep these animals as pets. Famously， a Chinese man in 2012 was noticed taking his eightfoot-long albino Burmese Python for a walk（and swim） in a Changzhou park. The snake’s massive size and reputation make them a prime target for poachers， some hoping to capture them as pets to sell， but， in China， they often end up as food. Despite being in no real danger of going extinct， its dominance is dwindling in China.