He traded in the almost extinct Komodo dragons and critically endangered Chinese alligator. The oldest record of the Chinese alligator is a skeleton fragment found in western Japan. The Chinese alligator is smaller, rarely exceeding in length. Some writers have suggested that the Chinese alligator was the inspiration for the Chinese dragon. "tulong" "soil/earth dragon", which refers to the "tuo" "Chinese Alligator" (cf. The Chinese alligator brumates in burrows during winter. In some writings, the Chinese alligator has been associated with the Chinese dragon. The Chinese alligator has been a part of Chinese literature since the third century. The Chinese alligator is a vocal species, making many different sounds in multiple situations. The Chinese alligator is almost completely black or dark gray in color as an adult. Unlike the American alligator, the Chinese alligator is fully armored, including its belly.