Caiman
by Eva Lechner
Title
Caiman
Artist
Eva Lechner
Medium
Photograph - Photograph-fine Art
Description
A caiman is an alligatorid crocodilian belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within Alligatoridae, the other being alligators.
Caimans inhabit Central and South America from marshes and swamps to mangrove rivers and lakes. As with other reptiles, caimans have scaly skin and live a fairly nocturnal existence.
They are relatively small sized crocodilians, with an average maximum weight of 6 to 40 kg (13 to 88 lb) depending on species, with the exception of the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), which can grow more than 5 m (16 ft) in length and weigh up to 1,100 kg (2,400 lb). The black caiman is the largest caiman species in the world and is found in the slow-moving rivers and lakes that surround the Amazon basin. The smallest species is the Cuvier's dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus), which grows to 1.2 to 1.5 m (3.9 to 4.9 ft) long. There are six different species of caiman found throughout the watery, jungle habitats of Central and Southern America. The average length for most of the other caiman species is about 2 meters to 2.5 meters long.
Caimans are distinguished from alligators, their closest (and more widely known) relatives, by a few defining features: a lack of a bony septum between the nostrils, ventral armor composed of overlapping bony scutes formed from two parts united by a suture, and relatively longer, more slender teeth than those that alligators possess.
Original fine art photograph by Eva Lechner
A winner,2nd place in the contest Alligators and Crocodiles Photos
2nd tied place in the Contest My Best Shot of a Crocodilean-May 2019
Uploaded
May 27th, 2017
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Viewed 562 Times - Last Visitor from Ottawa, ON - Canada on 04/24/2024 at 11:10 PM
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