Spectacled Caiman
| Class: Reptilia:
Reptiles |
Diet: Small mammals |
| Order:
Crocodilia: Crocodiles, Alligators, Gavial |
| Size: 1.5
- 2 m (5 - 6 1/2 ft) |
| Family: Alligatorianae:
Alligators and Caimans |
Conservation Status: Non-threatened
|
| Scientific Name:
Caiman crocodilus |
Habitat: slow still
waters, lakes, swamps |
| Range:
Venezuela to Southern Amazon Basin |
 There
are several species and subspecies of this caiman, and its name has been
the subject of much dispute; it is often known as C. sclerops. Its common
name derives from the ridge on the head between the eyes, which resembles
the bridge of a pair of glasses. The population of wild caimans has declined
drastically in some areas since they are not only hunted for skins but the young are
also collected and sold as pets or stuffed as curios. The female caiman
makes a nest of plant debris scraped together into a pile and lays an average
of 30 eggs.
  
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