The Yangtze River basin once had many Chinese alligators.
Tips
culture
Folk name for the Chinese alligator (formal name: 扬子鳄 yángzǐ'è). Locals along the Yangtze called it 'pig-mother dragon' because its grunting calls sound like a sow. The species is critically endangered, surviving mainly in Anhui's reserves.
memory
猪 (pig) + 婆 (old woman/mother) + 龙 (dragon) — a 'pig-grandma dragon.' The mental image makes the word stick.
