Latin Name |
Melanosuchus niger |
Conservation Status |
Conservation Dependent |
Location
| S America |
Colour |
Black |
Length |
4 - 6 m (13 - 20 ft) |
Weight |
- |
Breeding |
Oviparous |
Main Characteristics
Black Caiman are the largest predator in the Amazon Basin. They have a body length between 4 and 6 m (13 - 20 ft) and they have black, scaly skin.
Habitat
Black Caimans can be found in slow moving rivers and lakes in South America.
Diet
Black Caiman mainly feed on fish, water birds, capybara and occasionally domestic animals.
Breeding
Black Caiman lay 30 - 65 eggs in a mound of soil and vegetation. The female guards the eggs during incubation and protects her newly hatched young in the water.
Predators
Humans and jaguars are predators of Black Caiman.
Interesting Facts
Black Caimans have a life expectancy of 50 - 80 years.
Similar Animals
Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman
Smooth-Fronted Caiman
Yacare Caiman
Spectacled Caiman
Broad-Snouted Caiman
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