Spectacled caiman

species of reptile
(Redirected from 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
In Tobago river of Trinidad & Tobago
Scientific classification
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C. crocodilus
Binomial name
Caiman crocodilus
Map of caiman distribution
Synonyms

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 change

According to ISIS, there are known to be 170 spectacled caimans in zoos.

Other websites change

  Media related to Caiman crocodilus at Wikimedia Commons