Details
Caiman crocodilus
The spectacled caiman is a Neotropical crocodilian named for the bony ridge between its eyes. It hunts fish and small animals in freshwater at night.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It inhabits Neotropical freshwater and savanna wetlands. Rivers, marshes, ponds, floodplains, and artificial waters are all used.
Length 150-250 cm; weight 7-40 kg. A cross ridge between the eyes gives a spectacled look. The body is olive-brown, and juveniles show stronger banding.
Nocturnal and loosely social, it often floats with only eyes and nostrils above water. It waits for prey near the surface or edge.
A carnivore, it eats fish, crustaceans, frogs, birds, and small mammals. Larger prey become more important as it grows.
Females build nests of vegetation and soil and guard the eggs. Hatchlings gather in shallow nursery areas near water.
It is listed as Least Concern. It is adaptable, though skin trade and wetland alteration can affect populations locally.
