摘要The fine-scale habitat selection behavior of juvenile Chinese alligators(Alligator sinensis)is crucial to understand for ex situ environment design and in situ habitat restoration,yet how thermal requirements shape their microhabitat use remains unclear.To address this,we studied ten juveniles in a semi-natural artificial pond with four environmentally distinct quadrants during September 2025.Using 24-h video surveillance and systematic sampling,we analyzed their spatial use patterns,diel rhythms,and environmental drivers via temporal trend analysis and generalized linear mixed modeling(GLMM).Results indicated heterogeneous space use across quadrants and spatially distinct diel rhythms.Habitat selection was best explained by an interaction between solar exposure ratio and time of day.The GLMM revealed a significant interaction between solar exposure ratio and time period(P<0.05),with simple slope analysis showing that solar exposure ratio had a strong positive effect on habitat use in the afternoon and night but not the morning.Concealment area also had a consistent positive effect.These findings demonstrate that juvenile Chinese alligators employ a dynamic,thermal-requirement-driven spatiotemporal strategy.This behavioral plasticity is critical for maintaining physiological homeostasis,suggesting that access to thermally heterogeneous habitats may be an important consideration in conservation planning for this species.