Caiman crocodile. Crocodile caiman Spectacled crocodile
Other names: crocodile caiman, spectacled caiman (Spectacled caiman).
In the past, these amazing animals had powerful religious significance. In some ancient Egyptian cults dating back to 1800 BC, crocodiles were believed to be relatives of a crocodile-headed god named "Sebek" and were the object of worship. On the islands of the Indo-Pacific region, the relationship between man and crocodile was more tragic and bloody. On the island of Timor, a virgin girl was sacrificed to the crocodiles every year. Nowadays, in modern society, sacrifices like this are no longer made, and the cult of the crocodile has lost its significance. There were similar cults in many cultures, which gave crocodiles the bad reputation they still have today.
area: The crocodile caiman is distributed in Central and South America: from Chiapas in the north to the mouth of the Parana in the south. The species has been registered in the following countries: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Tobago, Trinidad, United States, Venezuela. On this vast territory, the caiman forms 3-5 subspecies.
Description: The spectacled caiman has a typical crocodile appearance with a relatively long muzzle narrowed in front. In appearance, due to the special structure of the skin and outgrowths on the head, the caiman most closely resembles a prehistoric monster. The bony outgrowths located on the head between the eyes and around them resemble glasses, hence the first name of the caiman - "spectacled". Like other members of the family, caimans have a transparent membrane that protects their eyes when diving if they are open underwater.
In adults, to accommodate large (first and fourth) teeth of the lower jaw (in the premaxillary bone in front of the nostrils and in the area of the seam between the premaxillary and maxillary bones), through holes are formed. Often, on one or both sides of the skull, the outer wall collapses, forming not pits, but cuts in the edges of the upper jaw to accommodate the fourth teeth of the lower jaw. This gives the skull an appearance common to the skulls of real crocodiles, which led to another specific name for the species: crocodile. In total, caimans have from 72 to 78 teeth.
Color: The general tone of the body varies from light brown to chestnut, against which there are from 4 to 5 dark brown transverse stripes on the body and 7-8 on the tail. Well distinguished in many caimans are large dark brown spots on both sides of the lower jaw. Eye color is buff to light brown.
Juveniles are camouflage (protective) yellowish green with black spots along the belly and base of the tail, gradually changing to a matte olive green.
Caiman, like a chameleon, has an amazing ability to change the color of the body, especially if its temperature drops. In this case, the black cells of the pigment expand, as a result of which the body of the caiman darkens significantly, acquiring a dark olive-brown color.
The size: In length, animals reach 2.4-2.7 m, but usually most individuals do not exceed 200 cm. Male caimans are a third larger than females and differ from them in slightly wider heads and tails.
Voice: Small caimans make a short, creaking croaking sound ("kraaaaa") when displeased or threatened. Older animals make a hoarse, long hissing sound, which can be roughly translated as one stretched "sh". Reptiles in most cases repeatedly repeat this hiss, after which the small mouth remains wide open for some time and only then closes very slowly.
Adult animals regularly, really very loudly, "bark".
Caimans prefer to rest and hide among floating vegetation. Therefore, it is not for nothing that floating islands formed from water hyacinths play an important role in the distribution of these animals. (Eichhornia) and other plants, sometimes reaching significant sizes (over 900 m 2) and often carried downstream by rivers. These floating islands ("mats") provide shelter for young caimans and can carry them over long distances and into the open sea. Spectacled caimans are tolerant of brackish water, which allowed them to settle from the American continent to some islands close to the mainland: Trinidad, the Gorgon and Gorgonilla Islands off the western coast of Colombia. Sometimes these caimans were found in the sea near the coast.
Enemies: Eggs are often eaten by lizards, such as Tupinambis spp., which destroy the nest completely and often damage up to a quarter of all nests. 
Food: In nature, crocodile caimans feed on almost any living organism that is available in the area and for the given age of the caiman.
Juveniles mainly feed on aquatic insects. As the percentage rises
Crocodile caiman (lat. Caiman crocodilus) is a predatory reptile of the Alligator family (lat. Alligatoridae), living in Central and South America. It differs from its other fellow crocodiles by the presence of a characteristic roller above the eye sockets, connecting the eyelids and a shape resembling the frame of glasses. Because of this, it is also called the spectacled crocodile.
Local Indians consider its meat an extraordinary delicacy, especially the tail and belly, which are usually given only to the most respected members of the tribe. Although caiman skin is valued at about 10 times cheaper than alligator skin or real crocodile skin, it nevertheless occupies more than 80% of the world market.
The mass extermination of crocodile caimans began in the middle of the twentieth century, when in America the owners of more valuable skins were practically exterminated. Fortunately, these reptiles have not only enviable health, but also very quickly adapt to any changes in the environment.
Innate cunning and caution allow them to resist a person in an unequal struggle for the time being.
Their population currently exceeds 1 million individuals, and hunting for them is limited in most countries.
Behavior
Crocodile caimans prefer to settle in swamps and savannahs temporarily flooded with rain. They are also found in brackish waters in estuaries and mangrove forests. Often they can be seen in sea waters near the coast, when they swim for many hours in search of new hunting grounds.
Downstream they like to swim, climbing on floating islands of water hyacinths and other aquatic plants. Young crocodiles are especially indifferent to such transport. With the help of such improvised means, they got from the mainland to the islands of Trinidad and Gorgon, where they found simply heavenly conditions for themselves.
Caimans are easily dehydrated, so when a drought approaches, they burrow into the silt and hibernate. They wake up with the first showers.
In the daytime, crocodile caimans swim lazily at the very surface of water bodies or rest on islands of hyacinths. By evening, the reptiles begin to feel hungry and go hunting. Hunting always occurs exclusively from an ambush.
The eyes of caimans are well developed and covered with a special reflective layer that allows you to see perfectly in the dark. The predator can lie motionless for hours, waiting for the approach of the victim. When she gets close enough, a lightning dash follows. Powerful toothy jaws tightly grab prey.
Most often, waterfowl, frogs, mollusks, freshwater crabs and large fish fall on the dinner table of a toothy hunter. Large individuals can also attack mammals, for example, wild pigs that have come to drink.
Male caimans fiercely protect their territory from strangers and often eat a defeated enemy.
reproduction
Crocodile caimans can breed all year round. They are especially active in matters of procreation from January to March. Each male tries to please the maximum number of females with his attention.
A fertilized female in July or August builds a nest in a secluded place near the water. To do this, she simply rakes the remains of rotting plants into one large pile and lays 15 to 30 eggs in it. Record holders can occasionally put off even 4 dozen.
Sometimes peaceful females in relation to each other cooperate and lay eggs all together in one nest. This gives them the opportunity to guard the clutch in turn, devoting more time to their food and rest. The female disturbed during this period is very aggressive and can even be the first to attack and kill a person.
Females take great care of the clutch, constantly checking the temperature in the brood chamber.
In cool weather, they cover it with additional layers of plants, and in drought, they carefully carry water in their mouths and water the nest from above. Rotting plants keep the temperature in the middle of the nest around 32°C. At lower temperatures, males are born, and at higher temperatures, females. Incubation, depending on weather conditions, lasts from 8 to 10 weeks.
At the end of incubation, the cubs, while still in the egg, begin to squeak plaintively, calling for help from their mother. They pierce the eggshell with a horny process at the tip of the muzzle.
The body length of hatched crocodiles is 20-30 cm. The color, unlike adult relatives, is not green, but yellow with black spots, which disappears as they grow older. Immediately after birth, the babies rush to shallow water under the watchful eye of the mother.
At first, they prey on aquatic insects, fry and annelids, gradually moving on to larger prey.
Sometimes one compassionate mother brings up the babies of other females alone.
The upbringing of the younger generation can last from 2 to 4 months, after which teenagers move on to an independent lifestyle. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 8-10 years.
Description
The body length of adults can reach 2.5 m. The skin is covered with horny shields. The back is green-olive with a pattern of dark green spots. The belly is painted in a light yellowish color.
The head is massive, flattened vertically. The end of the muzzle is narrowed. Between the anterior corners of the eye sockets is a roller that connects the eyelids. The iris is green. The pupils are vertical.
Long limbs end in sharp claws. The jaws are very powerful. When the mouth is closed, the first and fourth teeth of the lower jaw enter special pits in the upper jaw.
Life expectancy in the wild is about 40 years. In captivity, crocodile caimans live up to 50 years.
Crocodiles are different - large and small. There are those who will gladly feast on you at the first opportunity, and there are those who will also be happy to live in your bath, just feed on time and taste better. When talking about small crocodiles, they most often mean caimans. Here we will talk about them, or rather read them.
The main habitats of crocodile caimans are Central and South America. About 3-5 species of caimans live in this vast territory. Their natural habitats are tropical and subtropical reservoirs with dense vegetation, small rivers, lakes, ponds, or the sea coast, because. some species are tolerant of brackish water. The latter circumstance allowed them to move to nearby islands, including Trinidad and Tobago.
Caimans love to hide in aquatic vegetation and this habit has played into their hands. Floating islands played a big role in their distribution, which often floated downstream or even into the open ocean, taking small crocodiles with them.
Crocodile caimans are small reptiles. The length of males reaches 2-2.5 meters, while females grow no more than 1.5 meters. Adults are olive green in color, while juveniles are yellow or brown with black spots and stripes scattered all over the body. Caimans can change their color depending on body temperature. They darken and eventually become olive brown.
adult 
yellowish baby 
Caimans can communicate. During danger, small crocodiles make short hissing sounds, in adults they are more hoarse and drawn out.
Fish, shellfish, amphibians, freshwater crabs - all this makes up the main diet of caimans. Larger individuals attack small mammals and birds. Young crocodiles feed mainly on arthropods and aquatic insects.
Their breeding season begins in May and lasts until August. In July-August, females begin to build or look for nests. In one clutch there are from 15 to 40 eggs. During the entire incubation period, the female remains near the nest and guards the clutch. The main enemy here is the teyu lizards, which hunt for these eggs. Sometimes they can destroy up to 80% of masonry. Crocodiles hatch after 90 days. At first, they stay close to their mother.
Over the past decade, the number of crocodile caimans has declined sharply due to hunting for their skin. All subspecies are listed in the International Red Book.