Black caiman

There are a lot of big reptiles, but these caimans are a class of their own!

Rigelus

Black Caimans are widely distributed throughout Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. It is an apex predator in the Amazon and has earned the tag of the largest predator of the Amazon. These carnivorous reptiles live along slow-moving rivers, lakes, and seasonally flooded savannas. They can grow to sizes of at least 5m (16 ft).

Black caimans are now classified as a species of Least Concern status, but it wasn’t always like that. Black caimans used to be excessively hunted and killed for their scales, which were used in fashion. Up to 99 percent of black caimans were once killed, but intense conservation efforts brought them back from the verge of extinction.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Bolivia
2000
Brazil
2000
Colombia
2000
Ecuador
2000
French Guiana
2000
Guyana
2000
Peru
2000
Venezuela
2000
Presence Uncertain, Origin Uncertain

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No