Skip to main content

Black Caiman

Melanosuchus niger
The Black Caiman, named for its dark coloration, is the largest of all the Alligator species. Individuals as large as 19ft (6m) have been measured! These massive reptiles can be found stalking freshwater areas of South America.

Black Caimans have a wonderful senses of hearing and sight, which they use to track down and capture prey. They hunt primarily at night, and fish make up a large portion of their diet, but adults can also tackle much larger prey, including capybara, deer, and even livestock. There are some reports of human attacks as well.

Female Black Caimans are very attentive incubators. They build large nests during the dry season, and lay around 40 eggs within them. They eggs are then buried in the nest and guarded over for a period of 2-3 months. When it is time for the young Caimans to hatch, the mother digs them out. Because nests are often built close to each other, numerous young hatchlings can congregate in the same place for protection.

Illegal hunting during the mid 20th century has reduced the Black Caiman populations throughout their range. It is estimated that the population was reduced by 99% over the course of the century! The species is in recovery, but illegal hunting and habitat loss continue to pose a threat.

IUCN Status :  Lower Risk, Conservation Dependent
Location : Amazon Basin
Size : Length up to 14ft (4.25m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Crocodilia
Family : Alligatoridae -- Genus : Melanosuchus -- Species : M. niger

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent