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The caimans are predators and, like alligators and the crocodiles, their diet consists of a great deal of fish. They live in freshwater habitats in South and Central America, including the Amazon basin. Though, generally a caiman’s favorite meal is fish and other reptiles. Their weight can vary from 5 to 50 kg. Location They prefer still water, but also live in lowland wetlands and rivers. Juvenile caimans have distinct cream to yellowish banded lines running across their back that disappear as they grow up. Please check your email for further instructions. Caiman skin is used for making leather shoes and other items. Cayman differs from the crocodile and alligator by the presence of bone plates called osteoderms and are located directly on the stomach. They hunt their prey like other crocodilians along muddy river banks. Cayman lives in Central and South America. The eyes of the caiman protects the membrane, which allows it to always be in the water, on average the caiman possesses 68 to 80 teeth. Description. They also share similar hunting habits where they remain hidden underwater, keeping only the eyes and snout over the surface, waiting for some animal to come near enough for them to pounce. A caiman is an alligatorid crocodilian belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within Alligatoridae, the other being alligators. Physical Characteristics: The yacare caiman (Caiman yacare, jacaré in Portuguese) is an animal from the Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *, Its nature offers you interesting information and facts on the natural world, A young Caiman crocodile looking for another meal. A caiman is a medium to large carnivorous reptile belonging to the subfamily of Caimaninae, and the family of Alligatoridae, the same family that alligators come from. The yacare caiman is a species of caiman found in central South America, including northeastern Argentina, Uruguay, southeastern Peru, eastern Bolivia, central/southwest Brazil, and the rivers of Paraguay. Black caimans even venture to land at night to hunt. Caimans need large ranges to hunt their prey. This provides the concealment and nourishment for them to grow and thrive. Cannibalism has been observed when the climatic changes force changes in their food supply. Due to the large size and ferocious nature of the caimans, they have few natural predators within their environments. Caimans are formidable predators that hunt and consume a wide variety of animal matter. Unlike the bigger crocodilians, like the American Alligator and Freshwater Crocodile, the Caiman population is quite strong. Unsubscribe at any time. But their kind of color caimans change depending on the season. The black caiman is the largest caiman species in the world and is found in the slow-moving rivers and lakes that surround the Amazon basin. Caimans need large ranges to hunt their prey. Some caimans live in loose-knit groups, whereas others are solitary and develop small home ranges. Like the others in the crocodile family, caimans have keen eyesight and a good sense of smell. Click To Enlarge Caiman farms, like this one, breed caimans and reintroduce them into the wild. They can live between 20 and 40 years on average, with the longest recorded lifespan in the wild being 60 years. Caimans have scaly skin, and live a fairly nocturnal existence. The snout is not as broad and round as in Alligator mississippiensis, the American alligator (Conant and Collins, 1998). The Black Caiman is found in various freshwater habitats such as slow-moving rivers, streams, lakes, flooded savannahs and wetlands. According to the shades of the skin, caimans can be black, brown or green. Young caiman have yellow coloring with black spots and bands on both the body and tail, these disappear with age, turning a dark olive color as the crocodile ages.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'itsnature_org-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',626,'0','0'])); What They Eat: The females take care of their young, carrying them to water and guarding them against predators. Caimans swim very well, mainly using their tails to propel themselves through the water, and also using their webbed feet. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Caiman Species. These animals belong to the reptile family and are a class of armored and armored lizards. A spectacled Caiman’s common name derives from a bony ridge which is found near the front of the eyes appearing to connect the eyes like a pair of spectacles. Click To Enlarge Adult caimans eat a variety of foods, sometimes including other caimans. Female caimans build a large nest in which to lay their eggs. Caiman is a Spanish term for "alligator" or any crocodilian. June 6, 2017. Caimans are most closely related to alligators with which they share a number of similar characteristics. The smallest species is the Cuvier's dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus), which grows to 1.2 to 1.5 m (3.9 to 4.9 ft) long. Below is a cladogram modified from Brochu (2011). During summer or droughts, the caiman may dig a burrow and go into a form of summer hibernation called aestivation.[3]. But a caiman that is 9 feet long is very rare. Caimans are also common reptile pets, though the spectacled caiman often grows too large to keep as a pet. The calcium rivets on their scales make their hides stiffer, and thus less valuable, than those of alligators and crocodiles, both of which have a similar appearance but are more pliable. Breeding Habits: Yacare Caiman Information Habitat: List of Official Animals in Zoo Tycoon (Xbox). Jaguars and anacondas are the only other predators of the caimans but they prey only on the smaller specimens. They prefer still water, but also live in lowland wetlands and rivers. What is the difference between a caiman and a crocodile and an alligator? There has been an instance where a caiman was killed by a group of giant otters. South America In fact, they are protected by law in many places to keep them from becoming endangered. Copyright © 2020 Wilderness Classroom Organization. Despite the differences, the crocodile caiman in the photo is not much different. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. They are relatively small-sized crocodilians, with an average maximum weight of 6 to 40 kg (13 to 88 lb) depending on species, with the exception of the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), which can grow more than 4 m (13 ft) in length and weigh up to 400 kg (880 lb). The location of the nest is chosen to be hidden from the lizards that destroy the eggs. These animals belong to the reptile family and are a class of armored and armored lizards. The yacare caiman is a species of caiman found in central South America, including northeastern Argentina, Uruguay, southeastern Peru, eastern Bolivia, central/southwest Brazil, and the rivers of Paraguay. Caimans are nocturnal, preferring to hunt at night. The Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger) has a distribution range including: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru and Venezuela. (2013). Caiman, also spelled cayman, any of several species of Central and South American reptiles that are related to alligators and are usually placed with them in the family Alligatoridae.Caimans, like all other members of the order Crocodylia (or Crocodilia), are amphibious carnivores. According to the shades of the skin, caimans can be black, brown or green. Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection Humans are a huge threat to their population, hunting them for their meat and skin. The average length for most of the other caiman species is about 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) long. Similar to other large crocodilians, black caimans have even been observed catching and eating smaller species, such as the spectacled caiman and sometimes cannibalizing smaller individuals of their own kind. Least Concern Caimans have scaly skin, and live a fairly nocturnal existence. … Being the apex predator in its ecosystem, it does not have many predators, but jaguars and large snakes do hunt them at times. Like other crocodilians (a group of reptiles that includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials), caimans are one of the longest surviving species on the planet having evolved very little over the past 200 million years.

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