Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
Paleosuchus means “ancient crocodile”, derived from palaios (Greek for “ancient”) + soukhos (Greek for “crocodile”), referring to the taxonomy and age of the genus. palpebrosus means “bony eyelid”, derived from palpebra (Latin for “eyelid” or palpebrals) + osus (Latin for “full of”), referring to the bony plates (palpebrals) on the upper eyelids. Found in freshwater in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Venezuela.
Smooth-fronted Caiman(Paleosuchus trigonatus)
Paleosuchus trigonatus is found in both the Amazon and Orinoco river basins, within the forested regions surrounding shallow streams. Their range covers a wide area in South America, from Peru in the west to French Guiana in the east (Ross,1989; Britton, 2001). This species is found in and around cool, fast-flowing forest streams and rivers, often near waterfalls or rapids. Males of this species will grow to a length ranging from 1.7 to 2.3m, while females generally peak at 1.4 meters.
Genus CAIMAN
Five species of the genus Caiman, which differs from the alligator by the absence of a bony septum between the nostrils, and the ventral armour is composed of overlapping bony scutes, each of which is formed of two parts united by a suture.
Some authorities further divide this genus into three, splitting off the smooth-fronted caimans into a genus Paleosuchus and the Black Caiman into Melanosuchus. Caimans tend to be more agile and crocodile-like in their movements, and have longer, sharper teeth than alligators. Varies according to species. All have wide, flat heads with rounded noses. Eyeline ridge is slightly more pronounced than in the closely related American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis. When mouth is closed, only teeth from upper jaw are visible.
They are found in Southern Mexico & the remainder of the Central American countries through South America to the northeastern portion of Argentina. Chile is the only South American nation which caimans to not inhabit. Estuaries, swamps, lakes, streams, rivers, floodplains, and the surrounding terrestrial environment
Yacare Caiman, Caiman yacare
Spectacled Caiman, Caiman crocodilus
Rio Apaporis Caiman,C. c. apaporiensis
Brown Caiman,C. c. fuscus
Broad-snouted Caiman, Caiman latirostris
Genus MELANOSUCHUS
Black Caiman(Melanosuchus niger), found in Amazon grows to 5-6 m length.
Melanosuchus niger is often associated with steep banks alongside slow-moving freshwater rivers, lakes, wetlands, black water swamps, and seasonally flooded areas of the Amazon. The Black Caiman retains its distinctive skin markings into adulthood: they display grey or brown banding on the lower jaw, and display white or yellowish bands on the sides of the body. Fish, such as piranhas and catfish, account for a large part of the adult Black Caiman’s diet, as do molluscs.
Family GAVIALIDAE
G. gangeticus is probably the only living species in the Family. Fossil and morphological data on Tomistoma schlegelii (false gharial) show closest resemblance to Crocodylidae. But recent molecular data show closer resemblance to G. gangeticus, causing some authors to place it in family Gavialidae.
Genus GAVIALIS
Gavialis gangeticus Gmelin
Gavialis has been derived from the Hindi word ghariyal that refers to the ghara (Hindi for “pot”), which is a swelling around the nostrils of mature males. The species name, gangeticus means “of the River Ganges”, where it inhabits. The species is found in India, Myanmar (possibly extirpated), Nepal, Pakistan (close to being extirpated). They are found within the river systems of the Brahmaputra (Bhutan & India), the Indus (Pakistan), the Ganges (India & Nepal), and the Mahanadi (India), with small populations in the Kaladan and the Irrawaddy in Burma.
Characteristic features include, elongated, narrow snout, similar only to the closely related False gharial, (Tomistoma schlegelii). The snout shape varies with the age of the saurian. The snout becomes progressively thinner the older the gharial gets. The bulbous growth on the tip of the male’s snout is called a ‘ghara’ (after the Indian word meaning ‘pot’), present in mature individuals. The bulbous growth is used for various activities, it is used to generate a resonant hum during vocalization, it acts as a visual lure for attracting females and it is also used to make bubbles which have been associated with the mating rituals of the species. The gharial has 27 to 29 upper and 25 or 26 lower teeth on each side.
Genus TOMISTOMA
Tomistoma schlegeliiMuller
Tomistoma means “sharp mouth”, referring to the slender shape of the jaws. schlegelii is named after the Dutch zoologist H. Schlegel (1804-1884) who is credited with its discovery. It is commonly called false Gharial. It is found in Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, possibly Sulawesi), Malaysia (Malay Peninsula, Borneo) and possibly Vietnam. It occurs in freshwater lakes, rivers & swamps, where it is reported to make burrows and seems to prefer vegetative cover, floating mats of vegetation and slow-moving waterways. Characteristic features include, slender snout, not dissimilar to the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), from which it derives its common name. Generally the colour is dark chocolate brown as a juvenile, with black banding on tail and body and dark blotches on jaws. Much of the juvenile colouration is retained in the adult. Maximum size attained is up to 5m (16 feet), although this species may potentially grow larger.