the daytime. The temperature inside them is never colder than . The burrows can be problematic for farmers, as they cause destruction of farm dykes. Life cycle The breeding season of the Chinese alligator is early summer, with the rate of mating being highest in mid-June. The alligator breeds earlier in the year if temperatures are higher. During the time of mating, males commonly search around ponds to find a mate and both male and female specimens are often aggressive to each other. The species exhibits polygamy, with single males mating with multiple females and/or a single female mating with several males. A study of 50 clutches showed multiple paternity in 60% of them, with up to three males contributing. Nests are typically built about 2–3 weeks after mating, from July to late August. Constructed by the females, they are composed of rotting plants, such as leaves, and are high. Females prefer to assemble them in areas that have a thick canopy and are far from human disturbance. Because islands frequently satisfy both of these conditions, they are often used as nesting sites. Nests are always near water sources. Individuals often return to the same nesting site yearly, although intraspecific competition and environmental changes can force them to change nesting sites. Generally laid at night, mating typically produces 20–30 eggs, although according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), clutch size ranges between 10 and 40 eggs. After the eggs are laid, the females sometimes leave the nest, but other times stay to protect the eggs. The eggs are about in length, in diameter, and in weight, making them smaller than the eggs of any other crocodilian. They are typically incubated for about 70 days. On average, the temperature of incubation is , including the day and night. This temperature controls whether a young alligator will be male or female (temperature-dependent sex determination), a feature present in many other reptiles. A higher incubation temperature also increases the hatching rate. Young hatch in September, assisted by their mothers. Newborn alligators, like their eggs, are the smallest of any crocodilian, with a length of and weight of . Unlike adults, they have light speckles on their bodies and heads. Mothers help them leave the nest and bring them to the water after hatching. They grow very little in their first year, due to being able to feed for only about