Smallest crocodilian eggs

The smallest eggs laid by any species of crocodilian are those of the Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis. The smallest individual egg that has been scientifically measured was 5.23 cm long, 3.27 cm across at its widest portion, and just 32 g in weight. It was part of a clutch of eggs in a wild nest recorded at Hongxin, China, in 2002. Even the largest egg on record from this species only measured 6.08 x 3.83 cm and weighed just 53 g; this had been laid by a captive female specimen at the Anhui Research Center for Chinese Alligator Reproduction (ARCCAR).

Although in crocodilians egg size is normally directly correlated with the size of the female that laid them, in the Chinese alligator its eggs are even smaller than those laid by females belonging to smaller crocodilian species. In other words, its eggs are not only absolutely but also proportionately smaller than those of any other crocodilian species. Why this should be remains unclear.