Facts and Features of Caiman

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Crocodilia

Family: Alligatoridae

Genre: Caimaninae

Scientific Name: Caimaninae

Type: Reptile

Diet: Carnivore

Size (L): 1.1 m - 5 m (43in - 197in)

Weight: 100 kg - 500 kg (220 pounds - 1102 pounds)

Maximum speed: 48 kmh (30 mph)

Life Span: 30 - 40 years

Lifestyle: Solitary

Conservation Status: Threatened

Color: Green, Brown, Black, Grey

Skin Type: Scales

Favorite food: Fish

Habitat: mangroves, marshes and swamps

Clutch Size Average: 30

Main Prey: fish, insects, birds

Predators: Humans, jaguars

Distinguishing features: narrow body shape and long tail

The Caiman is a large aquatic reptile found in tropical swamps and rivers covering South and Central America. Although Caimans have much narrower bodies, which are more closely related to alligators and crocodiles.Caiman are found in  variety of habitats throughout Central and South America marshes and  swamps to mangrove rivers and lakes. Like other reptiles, Caiman have scaly skin and live a quite nocturnal existence.

Caiman range in size from the dwarf caiman, measuring just over a meter in length, for the black caiman can get to be about 5 feet long. The black caiman alligator is the largest species in the world and is in slow-moving rivers and lakes around the Amazon basin.

There are six species of Caiman are found throughout the watery jungle habitat of Central and South America. The average length of most other species of  Caiman about 2.5 meters long.

The Caiman is a carnivorous predators ,also Caiman has a diet consisting of a lot of fish like alligators and crocodiles . The  Caiman also eats insects, birds and small mammals and reptiles.

Due to the large size and fierce nature Caiman has few natural predators in their environment. Humans are the main predators of the Caiman, as they have been hunted for their meat and fur. Jaguars are the only predator for Caiman.

Female Caimans build a large nest  to lay their eggs, which can be more than 1.5 meters wide. Cayman females lay 10 to 50 eggs, which breaks in about six weeks. Once born, the mother Caiman carries her young into a pool of water, where they can learn to hunt and swim.