Spectacled caiman
The spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus), or the common caiman, is a medium sized crocodilian species that lives in the wetland areas of South America. This size of this species generally can get up to between 6 to 8.2 feet (1.8 to 2.5 m). The spectacled caiman gets its name from the bony ridge between its eyes, looking like a pair of eyeglasses. As the seasons get colder, this caiman can change colors. Spectacled caimans have been known to eat insects, crustaceans, and mollusks.
| Spectacled caiman | |
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| In Tobago river of Trinidad & Tobago | |
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| Species: | C. crocodilus
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| Binomial name | |
| Caiman crocodilus Schneilder, 1801
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| Map of caiman distribution | |
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C. sclerops Schneider, 1801 C. caiman Daudin, 1802 C. alligator? Blumenbach, 1807 C. punctulatus Spix, 1825 'C. vallifrons Natterer, 1841 C. longiscuta Gray, 1862 C. multiscuta Gray, 1869 C. hirticollis Gray, 1869 C. lacordairei Borre, 1869 | |
In captivity
According to ISIS, there are known to be 170 spectacled caimans in zoos.
Spectacled Caiman Media
Spectacled caiman head, with the ridge between the eyes visible
Spectacled caimans in Monterrico, Guatemala
Spectacled Caiman eating a fish
Spectacled Caiman babies
C. crocodilus in Monterrico, Guatemala
C. crocodilus at the Helsinki Tropicario Zoo aquarium in Helsinki, Finland in 2010
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Other websites
Media related to Caiman crocodilus at Wikimedia Commons