Caiman (genus): Difference between revisions

| fossil_range = [[Middle Miocene]]–[[Holocene|Present]], {{fossilrange|16|0|ref=<ref name="Rio2021">{{cite journal |last1=Rio |first1=Jonathan P. |last2=Mannion |first2=Philip D. |date=6 September 2021 |title=Phylogenetic analysis of a new morphological dataset elucidates the evolutionary history of Crocodylia and resolves the long-standing gharial problem |journal=[[PeerJ]] |volume=9 |pages=e12094 |pmid=34567843 | doi=10.7717/peerj.12094 |pmc=8428266 |doi-access=free}}</ref>}}

| taxon = Caiman

| type_species = ''[[Caiman fissipescrocodilus]]''

| type_species_authority = SpixLinnaeus, 18251758

'''''Caiman''''' is a genus of [[caiman]]s within the [[alligatorid]] [[subfamily (biology)|subfamily]] [[Caimaninae]]. They inhabit [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]]. They are relatively small sized crocodilians, with all species reaching lengths of only a fewcouple of meters and weighing {{convert|6|to|40|kg|lb|abbr=on}} on average.

Caimans are similar to alligators in morphology but differ in having bony plates, known as [[osteoderm]]s, buried in the skin on the underside. The broad-snouted and spectacled caimans are characterised by having a bony ridge across the bridge of the nose just below the eyes.<ref name=Burton>{{cite book|author1=Burton, Maurice |author2=Burton, Robert |title=International Wildlife Encyclopedia: Brown bear – cheetah|url=https://archive.org/details/internationalwil10burt0 |url-access=registration |year=2002 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |isbn=978-0-7614-7269-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/internationalwil10burt0/page/n65 358]–360}}</ref> The yacare caiman is the largest species in the genus, attaining an average adult length of {{convert|2.5|to|3|m|ft|abbr=on}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://crocodilian.com/cnhc/csp_cyac.htm |title=''Caiman yacare'' (Daudin, 1802) |author=Briton, Adam |work=Crocodilian species list |accessdateaccess-date=2015-09-09}}</ref> the spectacled caiman reaches {{convert|2|to|2.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}, with the female rather smaller,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://crocodilian.com/cnhc/csp_ccro.htm |title=''Caiman crocodilus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |author=Briton, Adam |work=Crocodilian species list |accessdateaccess-date=2015-09-09 |archive-date=2015-10-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022054929/http://crocodilian.com/cnhc/csp_ccro.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the broad-snouted caiman is the smallest, more typically measuring {{convert|1.8|to|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} for males and {{convert|1.2|to|1.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} for females.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://crocodilian.com/cnhc/csp_clat.htm |title=''Caiman latirostris'' (Daudin, 1801) |author=Briton, Adam |work=Crocodilian species list |accessdateaccess-date=2015-09-09}}</ref>

This genus is present in Central and South America. The [[spectacled caiman]] (''Caiman crocodilus'') occurs in Central America and parts of the northern half of South America at altitudes of up to about {{convert|800|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}}. It is usually found in freshwater, but also visits the brackish water of estuaries on occasion. It has varying habitats including wetlands and slow-moving rivers and streams.<ref name=ADWcc>{{cite web |url=http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Caiman_crocodilus/ |title=''Caiman crocodilus'': Common caiman, spectacled caiman |author=Terry, Kayla |year=2010 |work=Animal Diversity Web |publisher=University of Michigan |accessdateaccess-date=2015-09-08}}</ref> The [[yacare caiman]] (''Caiman yacare'') occurs in the central part of southern South America, particularly in the [[Pantanal]] region, the largest tropical wetland area in the world, which is flooded seasonally by the [[Paraguay River]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Yacare caiman: The Comeback Croc |author=Smith, Roff |url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/07/yacare-caiman/smith-text |newspaper=National Geographic |date=2013-07-01 |accessdateaccess-date=2015-09-08 |archive-date=2017-07-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731184219/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/07/yacare-caiman/smith-text |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[broad-snouted caiman]] (''Caiman latirostris'') occurs in central and eastern South America, its range including southeastern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern [[Argentina]], within the drainage systems of the [[Paraná River|Paraná]], Paraguay, [[Uruguay River|Uruguay]] and [[São Francisco River]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iucncsg.org/365_docs/attachments/protarea/04_c-c7ff4560.pdf |title=Broad-snouted Caiman: ''Caiman latirostris'' |author1=Verdade, Luciano M. |author2=Larriera, Alejandro |author3=Piña, Carlos I. |publisher=IUCN |accessdateaccess-date=2015-09-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308154704/http://www.iucncsg.org/365_docs/attachments/protarea/04_C-c7ff4560.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-08 }}</ref>

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