Crocodile caiman (lat. Caiman crocodilus). The caiman is a member of the alligator family. Photo and description Crocodile caiman
There are different types of crocodiles - big and small. There are those who will happily feast on you at the first opportunity, and there are those who will also happily live in your bath, just feed them on time and tastier. When people talk about small crocodiles, they most often mean caimans. So we’ll talk about them, or rather read them.
The main habitats of crocodile caimans are Central and South America. This vast territory is home to about 3-5 species of caimans. Their natural habitats were tropical and subtropical reservoirs with dense vegetation, small rivers, lakes, ponds or the sea coast, because some species are tolerant to brackish water. The latter circumstance allowed them to move to nearby islands, including Trinidad and Tobago.
Caimans love to hide in aquatic vegetation and this habit has played into their hands. Floating islands played a big role in their spread, which often floated downstream or even into the open ocean, taking small crocodiles with them.
Crocodile caimans are small reptiles. The length of males reaches 2-2.5 meters, while females grow no more than 1.5 meters. Adults are olive green in color, while juveniles are yellow or brown with black spots and stripes scattered throughout the body. Caimans are able to change their color depending on their body temperature. They darken and eventually turn olive brown.
Adult 
Yellowish baby 
Caymans can communicate. When in danger, small crocodiles make short hissing sounds; in adults they are more hoarse and drawn-out.
Fish, shellfish, amphibians, freshwater crabs - all this constitutes the main diet of caimans. Larger individuals attack small mammals and birds. Young crocodiles feed mainly on arthropods and aquatic insects.
Their breeding season begins in May and lasts until August. In July-August, females begin to build or look for nests. There are from 15 to 40 eggs in one clutch. During the entire incubation period, the female remains close to the nest and guards the clutch. The main enemy here is the teyu lizards, which hunt for these eggs. Sometimes they can destroy up to 80% of the masonry. After 90 days, the crocodiles hatch. At first they stay close to their mother.
For last decade The number of crocodile caimans has declined sharply due to hunting for their skin. All subspecies are listed in the International Red Book.
Synonyms and names in other languages
Spectacled caiman
Spectacled caiman , white caiman, common caiman (English).
Krokodilkaiman, (Nördlicher) Brillenkaiman (German)
Classification
Squad— Crocodiles (Crocodilus).
Family— Alligators (Alligatorie).
Genus- Cayman.
View— Crocodile caiman (Caiman crocodilus).
Subspecies— Сaiman crocodilus crocodilus is the main subspecies of the crocodile caiman, it lives in the northern and northeastern parts South America, mainly in Venezuela.
Сaiman crocodilus apaporiensis lives in northwestern South America, in Colombia.
Caiman crocodilus fuscus is a northern crocodile caiman found in Mexico and Central America.
Сaiman crocodilus matogrossiensis lives in southern Brazil.
Сaiman crocodilus paraguayensis lives in Paraguay.
Сaiman crocodilus yacare - southern crocodile caiman, lives in the middle part of South America, sometimes stands out in separate species.
The crocodile caiman is very widespread in South America and has many subspecies. Some subspecies have been introduced to Cuba.
Since this type of caiman can move in salt water, it also inhabited some islands located off the coast of South America - for example, Trinidad and Tobago.
Prefers slow-flowing rivers and swamps with a gently sloping sandy bank.
Appearance
Dimensions males reach a length of 2-2.5 meters, females are smaller - no more than 1.4 meters in length. Sexual dimorphism is expressed precisely in size.
This is a small crocodile with a rather long snout, narrowed in front. Juvenile caimans are yellow with black spots and stripes all over their bodies, while adults are olive green.
On the head between the eyes and around them there are bony outgrowths. They are very reminiscent of glasses, which is where the first name for the caiman came from - “spectacled”. This type of caiman, like other members of the family, has some kind of protection for the eyes under water - a transparent membrane.
Character
All types of caimans with early childhood show aggression towards humans. But if you keep a young caiman from the first day after birth, then he can get used to the person caring for him and treat him with trust. It is important not to leave the caiman hungry, feed it regularly, otherwise the degree of its aggression will increase.
Small caimans can make sounds similar to croaking when danger approaches. Grown-up animals produce a more hoarse and prolonged hissing sound. Crocodiles often repeat their hisses if their calm is disturbed by something. Adult reptiles bark regularly and loudly.
Aquaterrarium for a young crocodile it can be small - about 200 liters. But the baby grows quickly and for an adult caiman the volume of the aquaterrarium should be at least 1000 liters, and preferably more. In any case, the aquaterrarium must have a pond - at least 40 cm in length for an adult caiman, and at least 10 cm in length for a young one. The aquaterrarium must have a shore where the caiman could crawl out completely and bask. If it is not possible to make land for the caiman, you can place a large piece of driftwood or a log in the aquaterrarium, where it could get out and where the light from a heating (mirror or incandescent) lamp would be directed.
The aquaterrarium must be made of durable glass, all equipment must be well secured, since the caiman can break it with its strong tail. The terrarium must have good ventilation. It is better to equip the reservoir with a powerful external filter and water drain, so that for weekly water changes there is no contact with the caiman. All manipulations in the aquaterrarium are best done with thick gloves.
Temperatureair 25 - 35°C.
Optimal temperaturewater- 22-25 °C.
Lighting- at least 12 hours, an ultraviolet lamp is required. But it is advisable to take the caiman out into the sun in the hot summer, it is useful for strengthening health and immunity.
Feeding
Feeding a caiman is a dangerous procedure. It is advisable to give food so that the caiman does not see your hand, otherwise he will react to it as food. It is better to feed young animals daily, adult caimans - twice a week. Although they tolerate prolonged fasting very well, it is better not to practice it so that the caiman does not become too aggressive. The caiman feeds on meat and fish (without bones), rats, rabbits, and quail.
A crocodile can develop different taste preferences: they can eat one thing and refuse another type of food. You should not follow the animal’s lead; after missing several feedings, it will begin to consume the food offered.
Newborn caimans eat large insects - cockroaches, locusts and snails - Achatina, ampularia. Vitamins and calcium supplements must be added to the feed.
Peculiarities
A large, beautiful, unpretentious animal, it very often gets used to humans.
They are aggressive, fast and require a very large aquaterrarium.
On land, crocodile caimans can be very fast and agile, moving and even jumping. In nature they can climb rocks and snags.
In addition to its dangerous teeth, this species of caiman is dangerous due to its strong tail, which can deliver powerful blows.
The most common diseases encountered in caimans are: helminthiasis- infection with helminths - in this case, you need to collect stool for analysis and, based on the results, receive a prescription from your doctor for anthelmintic drugs. Also, from monotonous feeding, different metabolic disorders, which is treated by diversifying the diet and introducing vitamins there.
Breeding
Caimans become sexually mature at 4 to 7 years of age, and they mate and lay eggs throughout the year. Reproduction in a terrarium is almost impossible, since the female builds a huge nest - up to 1.5 meters in diameter and 20-25 cm high. There are usually 15-30 eggs in a clutch. The duration of incubation at a temperature of 30-32°C is 80-86 days. During this period, it is better not to disturb the females; they can be very aggressive. Young caimans are born with a total length of about 20 cm and readily eat insects, frogs and newborn mice.
When preparing for breeding, be sure to give the female a course of radiation and give vitamin preparations containing tocopherol with food. A variety of materials for nest construction should be placed on the shore - leaves, small branches, moss. After the babies hatch, they should be separated from the adults, otherwise cannibalism is possible.
Lifespan- crocodile caimans live a long time, at least 30 years, in captivity under correct content even longer.
The caiman is a crocodile that belongs to the alligator family, but is somewhat different from them. Alligators are smaller than crocodiles, with wide and short snouts, and are lazier and less aggressive. The Caymans are separate genus families. They do not have a bony partition on their muzzle, but they do have a protective abdominal shell.
Types of caimans
The caiman is a crocodile, which means it is a formidable and dangerous animal. Although not as aggressive as other representatives of the squad. There are three types of representatives of the genus:
- crocodile (spectacled);
- broad-nosed;
- Yakarsky
All of the listed species of caimans are common in South and Central America. The crocodile (spectacled) is divided into two species and four subspecies. All of them are listed in the Red Book as representatives of an endangered species of animals.
Crocodile (spectacled) caiman
Crocodile caiman - small, has a narrow long muzzle. Ahead it narrows even more. The second name - “spectacled” - was given to the caiman for the bony outgrowths on its head, located around and between the eyes and resembling glasses. Males can reach from 2 to 2.5 meters in length, and females - up to 1.4 m. The weight of the crocodile caiman does not exceed 45 kilograms. Juveniles are yellow in color with black stripes and spots along the body.
Adult crocodiles turn olive green. Thanks to melanophore cells, they can change color slightly. Subspecies of crocodile caimans differ in the outline of the skull, color and size. This type is the most common. Inhabits rivers from Peru to Mexico.
Broadnose caiman
The broadnose caiman is a crocodile distinguished by its snout. Its length is from 2 to 3.5 meters. Weight ranges from 35 to 62 kilograms. Well tolerated high temperature. The back of the broad-nosed caiman is covered with durable, ossified scales. Color: light green, olive. It lives in the waters of Bolivia, Brazil and northern Argentina. Lives next to the Yakar caiman. These species are not hostile to each other.
Yakar caiman
The Yakarsky (or Paraguayan, piranha) caiman, a photo of which is in this article, was previously a subspecies of the crocodile. But later it was isolated as a separate species. Externally, the Yakar caiman is similar to a crocodile. Body length is from 2.5 to 3 meters. Weight ranges from 20 to 25 kilograms in females and up to 55 kg in males. Like all caimans, it has bony scutes on its skin. The crocodile received its second name - “piranha” - for the structure of its teeth, when the lower ones extend beyond the upper front ones. It lives in northern Argentina, southern Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia.
Caimans habitats
So, a caiman is a crocodile. That’s why it loves wetlands where it can hide and find large snags. But each species of caimans prefers a specific habitat. Crocodiles love wet lowlands and live near bodies of water. They prefer standing water. The broadnose caiman lives in swampy lowlands. Favorite place- mangrove swamps. Can live in both fresh and salt water. It often settles in ponds near human habitation. The Yakar caiman lives in swampy lowlands and swamps. Likes to hide on
Cayman food
The caiman is an unpretentious animal and not as aggressive and bloodthirsty as its relatives. It even eats insects. The main food is shellfish, fish, freshwater crabs and amphibians. If the crocodile large sizes, then it hunts large vertebrates and mammals.
The main diet of the broadnose caiman consists of water snails and other small non- and vertebrates. Although a large individual can even bite through a turtle shell. The Yakar caiman eats aquatic invertebrates, fish and occasionally snakes. His favorite “dish” is snails.
Reproduction
The caiman is a crocodile from the alligator family. Puberty occurs at a body length of 1.2 to 1.4 m. Dominant males grow much faster. And they reach sexual maturity sooner. Mating season- it's the rainy season. Approximately from May to August. Females build nests from rotting plants in the thickets. This is where the eggs are laid. Average masonry - 40 pieces.
Due to the rotting of plants, a constant temperature is maintained in the nest. Incubation period lasts from 70 to 90 days. The sex of the caimans depends on the temperature in which the eggs were kept. If it is above 32 degrees, females are born. If lower - males.
All mothers' cubs are collected in quiet backwaters, where the babies grow up under their supervision. Moreover, females do not differentiate between their own and other people’s cubs. They care for babies up to four months. Then the young begin a separate life.
The importance of caimans in the outside world
The cayman is known to be a crocodile. Only small and not so aggressive. Caymans occupy an important place in the ecosystem. If their numbers decline, the fish population becomes smaller. Thanks to crocodiles, the number of piranhas is regulated. IN lately The catch of crocodile caimans has increased. Their skin is poorly processed due to the abdominal bony scutes, so it is taken only from the sides.
So far, the number of crocodile caimans is not declining. In addition, they are bred on special farms. But, nevertheless, hunting crocodile caimans is prohibited in Venezuela, Mexico and some other countries.
But the skin of a broad-nosed crocodile is more suitable for dressing. Therefore, its population fell slightly in the mid-20th century. But the broad-nosed caiman is saved by the inaccessibility of its habitats. Special crocodile farms have been created in Argentina. The broad-nosed caiman is bred on them, a photo of which is in this article.
The number of Yakar caiman does not exceed two hundred thousand individuals. Therefore, in Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil and some other countries it is included in the protection program. In addition, special farms have been created where the Yakar caiman is raised.
Other names: crocodile caiman, spectacled caiman.
In the past, these amazing animals had powerful religious significance. In some ancient Egyptian cults dating back to 1800 BC, crocodiles were believed to be relatives of a crocodile-headed god called "Sebek" and were the object of worship. On the islands of the Indo-Pacific region, the relationship between man and crocodile was more tragic and bloody. On the island of Timor, a virgin girl was sacrificed to crocodiles every year. In our time, in modern society, sacrifices like this are no longer made, and the cult of the crocodile has lost its significance. Many cultures had similar cults, giving crocodiles the bad reputation they still have today.
Area: The crocodile caiman is distributed in Central and South America: from Chiapas in the north to the mouth of the Parana in the south. The species is registered in the following countries: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Tobago, Trinidad, United States, Venezuela. In this vast territory, the caiman forms 3-5 subspecies.
Description: The spectacled caiman has a typical crocodile appearance with a relatively long snout that is tapered at the front. By appearance, thanks to the special structure of the skin and growths on the head, the caiman most closely resembles a prehistoric monster. The bony outgrowths located on the head between and around the eyes resemble glasses, hence the first name of the caiman - “spectacled”. Like other members of the family, caimans have a transparent membrane that protects their eyes when diving if they are open underwater.
In adult individuals, through holes are formed to accommodate the large (first and fourth) teeth of the lower jaw (in the premaxillary bone in front of the nostrils and in the area of the suture between the premaxillary and maxillary bones). Often, the outer wall of the skull is destroyed on one or both sides, forming not pits, but notches in the edges of the upper jaw to accommodate the fourth teeth of the lower jaw. This gives the skull an appearance common to the skulls of real crocodiles, which led to another specific name for the species: crocodile. In total, caimans have from 72 to 78 teeth.
Color: The general tone of the body varies from light brown to chestnut, against which there are 4 to 5 dark brown transverse stripes on the body and 7-8 on the tail. Many caimans have large dark brown spots on both sides of the lower jaw that are clearly visible. Eye color ranges from ocher to light brown.
Juveniles have a camouflage (protective) yellowish-green coloration with black spots along the belly and base of the tail, gradually changing to a matte olive green color.
The caiman, like a chameleon, has the amazing ability to change body color, especially if its temperature drops. In this case, the black pigment cells expand, as a result of which the caiman’s body darkens significantly, acquiring a dark olive-brown color.
Size: Animals reach a length of 2.4-2.7 m, but usually most individuals do not exceed 200 cm. Male caimans are a third larger than females and differ from them by a slightly wider head and tail.
Voice: Small caimans make a short, creaking croaking sound (“kraaaaa”) when displeased or in danger. Older animals make a hoarse, long hissing sound that can be roughly described as one extended “sh”. Reptiles in most cases repeat this hissing repeatedly, after which the small mouth remains wide open for some time and only then very slowly closes.
Adult animals regularly “bark”, really loudly.
Caimans prefer to rest and hide among floating vegetation. Therefore, it is not without reason that floating islands formed from water hyacinths play an important role in the distribution of these animals. (Eichhornia) and other plants, sometimes reaching significant sizes (over 900 m2) and often carried downstream of rivers. These floating islands ("mats") provide shelter for young caimans and can transport them long distances and into the open sea. Spectacled caimans are tolerant of brackish water, which allowed them to spread from the continent of America to some islands close to the mainland: Trinidad, the Gorgon and Gorgonilla islands off the western coast of Colombia. Sometimes these caimans were found in the sea near the coast.
Enemies: Eggs are often eaten by lizards, such as Tupinambis spp., which destroy the nest completely and often damage up to a quarter of all nests. 
Food: In the wild, crocodile caimans feed on almost any living organism that is available in a given area and for a given age of the caiman.
Juveniles feed mainly on aquatic insects. As the percentage increases