Cayman is a crocodile that belongs to the alligator family, but is slightly different from them. Alligators are smaller than crocodiles, with wide and short faces, more lazy and less aggressive. Caimans are a separate genus of the family. They have no bony septum on the face, but have a protective abdominal carapace.
Cayman Views
Cayman is a crocodile, which means that the animal is formidable, dangerous. Although not as aggressive as the rest of the squad. There are three types of representatives of the genus:
- crocodile (spectacle);
- broad-nosed;
- Yakarsky.
All of these cayman species are common in South and Central America. Crocodile (spectacle) 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 (spectacle) cayman
Crocodile caiman is small, has a narrow long muzzle. Ahead, it narrows even more. The second name - “spectacle” - the caiman received for bony outgrowths on the head, located around and between the eyes and resembling glasses. Males can reach from 2 to 2.5 meters A in length, and females up to 1.4 m. The weight of a crocodile caiman does not exceed 45 kilograms. In young individuals, the color is yellow with black stripes and spots on the body.
Adult crocodiles become olive green. Thanks to melanophore cells, they can slightly change color. Subspecies of crocodile caimans differ in the outline of the skull, color and size. This species is the most common. It lives in the rivers from Peru to Mexico.
Wide-nosed cayman
The wide-nosed caiman is a crocodile, distinguished by its muzzle. Its length is from 2 to 3.5 metersA. Weight ranges from 35 to 62 kilograms. It tolerates heat well. The sturdy ossified scales cover the back of the broad-nosed caiman. Color - light green, olive. Lives in reservoirs of Bolivia, Brazil and in the north of Argentina. Lives near the Yakarsky cayman. These species are not at odds with each other.
Yakarsky cayman
The Yakar (or Paraguayan, piranha) caiman, whose photo is in this article, was previously a subspecies of the crocodile. But later it was isolated. Externally, the Yakar caiman is similar to a crocodile. The length of the body 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 bone shields on the skin. The second name - “piranha” - the crocodile received for the structure of the teeth, when the lower go beyond the front upper. It lives in the north of Argentina, the south of Brazil, in Paraguay and Bolivia.
Cayman Habitats
So, caiman is a crocodile. Therefore, he loves wetlands where you can take refuge and find large snags. But each type of caiman prefers a particular habitat. Crocodile love moist lowlands, live near ponds. Prefer still water. The broad-nosed cayman lives in the swampy lowlands. A favorite place is mangrove swamps. It can live in both fresh and salt water. Often settles in ponds near human habitation. The Yakar caiman lives in swampy lowlands and swamps. Likes to take refuge on floating islands.
Cayman Nutrition
Cayman is an unpretentious animal and not as aggressive and bloodthirsty as its relatives. Eats even insects. The main food is shellfish, fish, freshwater crabs and amphibians. If the crocodile is large, then it preys on large vertebrates and mammals.
The main diet of the broad-nosed caiman consists of water snails and other small non-vertebrate and. Although a large individual can bite through even a turtle shell. The Yakar caiman eats aquatic invertebrates, fish and occasionally snakes. His favorite “dish” is snails.
Breeding
Cayman 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 maturity comes with them sooner. The mating season is the rainy season. Around May to August. Females build nests from rotting plants in the thickets. Eggs are laid there. The average masonry is 40 pieces.
Due to decay of plants in the nest, a constant temperature is maintained. The incubation period lasts from 70 to 90 days. From the temperature at which the eggs were held, depends on the floor of the caiman. If it is above 32 degrees, females are born. If lower - males.
All young mothers are collected in quiet backwaters, where the babies grow under their supervision. Moreover, the females do not have a separation between their own and those of others. They take care of babies up to four months. Then young growth begins a separate life.
