Crocodile caiman
| Crocodile caiman | ||||||||||||
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Crocodile caiman ( Caiman crocodilus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Caiman crocodilus | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The crocodile caiman or northern spectacled caiman ( Caiman crocodilus ) is a member of the alligator family .
features
The crocodile caiman reaches a maximum body length of about three meters, but most of the specimens do not grow larger than 2.50 meters. It has a wide mouth and its body proportions are more like real crocodiles . It is evenly colored gray to olive brown. The shape of the skull, the size and the color are very variable.
distribution
Crocodile caimans occur in a very large area of South America up to the north of Bolivia . It is also the only species among the caimans to be found in Central America as far as southern Mexico . Over the past few years, they have also spread to the more eastern Puerto Rico . In terms of its habitat, it is very adaptable and inhabits lakes, rivers, swamps and even man-made irrigation ponds, reservoirs and ditches.
Systematics
The following subspecies are known:
- Common crocodile caiman ( C. crocodilus crocodilus ( Linnaeus , 1758))
- Rio apaporis crocodile caiman ( C. crocodilus apaporiensis Medem , 1955)
- Northern crocodile caiman ( C. crocodilus fuscus ( Cope , 1868))
- Nicaraguan crocodile caiman ( C. crocodilus chiapasius ( Bocourt , 1876))
The status of C. crocodilus chiapasius is controversial and is sometimes considered the same as C. crocodilus fuscus . A DNA analysis from 2008 came to the conclusion that the split is justified. The (southern) spectacled caiman ( Caiman yacare ), formerly listed as a subspecies, is primarily characterized by a dark mark on the snout. Both species have a bony crossbar between the front corners of the eye, similar to a goggle bridge, which has led to the name Spectacled Caiman.
Way of life
Crocodile caimans build mounds of soil and plant material in which they lay up to 40 eggs. The nests are mostly in the bank vegetation, but sometimes also on floating grass mats or in open terrain.
The young animals mainly feed on insects and snails , which later make up a large proportion of the food. Crustaceans and fish are also part of their diet .
literature
- Charles A. Ross (Ed.): Crocodiles and Alligators - Evolution, Biology and Distribution. Orbis Verlag, Niedernhausen 2002, ISBN 978-3-572-01319-7 .
- Joachim Brock: Crocodiles - A life with armored lizards. Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 978-3-931587-11-6 .
- Armando H. Escobedo-Galván, Fabio G. Cupul-Magaña & Julián A. Velasco: Misconceptions about the taxonomy and distribution of Caiman crocodilus chiapasius and C. crocodilus fuscus (Reptilia: Crocodylia: Alligatoridae). In: Zootaxa. No. 3015, Magnolia Press, Auckland 2011, ISSN 1175-5326, pp. 66-68 ( online )
Web links
- Caiman crocodilus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Crocodile Specialist Group, 1996. Retrieved on 6 May, 2006.
- Caiman crocodilus in The Reptile Database