Caiman Facts
Caiman Facts
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| Interesting Caiman Facts: |
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| Caimans can reach 5 to 20 feet in length and weigh from 220 to 1100 pounds, depending on the species. Males and female look alike. |
| Caiman's body is covered with hard scales that act like an armor. It can be olive green, grey, brown or black in color. Skin is sometimes covered with pale stripes and spots which provide camouflage. |
| Caiman has narrow snout (that is wide at the base) and bony ridges above its large eyes. Long and flattened tail is used both for swimming and for protection against predators. |
| Caiman has excellent sense of hearing and eyesight. |
| Caiman has strong molar teeth which are designed for crushing of the food. |
| Caiman is carnivore (meat-eater). Its diet usually consists of fish, crustaceans, small reptiles and birds. Young caimans eat insects. |
| Caimans are important in their native habitats because they keep number of animals (their prey) under control. Reduced number of caimans in the wild resulted in increased number of capybaras (which destroy crops) and piranhas (which attack cattle). |
| Caimans are nocturnal animals (active during the night). |
| Just like other reptiles, caimans spend most of the day basking in the sun. |
| Caimans have few natural predators because of their size and aggressive temper. Besides humans, jaguars are greatest enemies of caimans. |
| Caimans are well adapted to the life in water. They can swim at speed of 30 miles per hour. |
| Caimans are solitary creatures that gather only during the mating season. Caimans mate at the end of dry season when food is abundant (large number of fish end up trapped in shallow pools of water). Easy meals ensure energy required for development of eggs. |
| Female builds a mound in the ground (usually 5 feet wide) and lays up to 65 eggs. She guards the nest during the period of 6 weeks and waits for eggs to hatch. |
| Temperature of the nest determines the gender of the baby. Lower temperature is associated with development of females, while higher temperature ensures development of males. Young caimans will follow their mother (after hatching) to the nearest water where she will teach them how to swim. |
| Caimans have long lifespan. They can survive 30 to 40 years in the wild and up to 60 years in captivity. |
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