Six species of alligator relatives from Central and South America, living in marshes, swamps, lakes and mangrove rivers and fairly nocturnal. Most are small crocodilians of 6–40 kg, but the black caiman of the Amazon basin can top 4 m and 450 kg.
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Yes
Potentially dangerous to people and pets, though smaller than other crocodilians and so less of a threat.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
It usually hunts at night, and has excellent night vision.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Humans are their main predator, hunting caimans for their meat and skin.
At a glance
Found inSouth America, Central America, North America
HabitatWetland, Rivers & lakes, Rainforest
ColoursGreen, Brown, Black
SizeLarge
LengthMost 2–2.5 m; black caiman over 4 m
WeightMostly 6–40 kg; black caiman over 450 kg
Legs4
Covered inArmour
Lives ingroups
Lives for30–40 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Central and South America; the spectacled caiman has been introduced to Florida, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
- What it eats
- Mainly fish, plus insects, birds, small mammals and reptiles.
Did you know
A smaller relative of the alligator; spectacled caimans number in the millions, four million in Venezuela alone.
In droughts, caimans may dig a burrow and wait it out in a summer dormancy called aestivation.
About four million spectacled caimans live in Venezuela alone.
Often confused with
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