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The yacare caiman is one of three extant (living) species of the genus Caiman, the other two being the Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) and the Broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris). There are also several extinct fossil species in the genus Caiman , possibly up to eight species.
The spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus), also known as the white caiman, [6] common caiman, [7] and speckled caiman, [8] is a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae.It is brownish-, greenish-, or yellowish-gray colored and has a spectacle-like ridge between its eyes, which is where its common name come from.
The yacare caiman is the largest species in the genus, attaining an average adult length of 2.5 to 3 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft), [5] the spectacled caiman reaches 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft), with the female rather smaller, [6] and the broad-snouted caiman is the smallest, more typically measuring 1.8 to 2 m (5.9 to 6.6 ft) for males and 1.2 to 1.4 m (3. ...
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.
In 1999, Brochu formally cladistically defined Jacarea as the last common ancestor of Caiman latirosris (Broad-snouted caiman), Caiman crocodilus (Spectacled caiman), Caiman yacare (Yacare caiman), Melanosuchus niger (Black caiman), and all its descendants. [1]
Genus Caiman – Spix, 1825 – three species Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population Spectacled caiman. C. crocodilus Linnaeus, 1758: Northern South America and Central America: Size: up to 45 kg (99 lb) Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, and inland wetlands [4] Diet ...
C. crocodilus, the spectacled caiman, has the widest distribution, from southern Mexico to the northern half of Argentina, and grows to a modest size of about 2.2 m (7.2 ft). The largest is the near-threatened Melanosuchus niger , the jacaré-açu or large or black caiman of the Amazon River basin.
The trade in black caiman leather peaked from the 1950s to 1970s, when the smaller but much more common spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) became the more commonly hunted species. Local people still trade black caiman skins and meat today at a small scale but the species has rebounded overall from the overhunting in the past. [20]