- Origin: Central and South America
- Class: Reptiles
- Order: Crocodiliens
- Family: Alligatoridés
The spectacled caiman is found in many Central and South American countries: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Surinam, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Bolivia. It has also been introduced into Cuba, Puerto Rico and Florida. It inhabits a wide range of habitats, including lakes and river arms, swampy areas, ponds, mangroves and uncultivated savannahs.
The spectacled caiman is skilful and fast on land as well as in the water. Its head is short, with prominent superciliary arches joined by a bony ridge resembling spectacles. Its colouring varies from reddish-brown to greenish-brown with dark spots, and its belly is light. It is a medium-sized crocodilian, the male barely exceeding 1.5 to 2 metres, the female being smaller.
The spectacled caiman reaches sexual maturity at around 4 years of age, and is oviparous; the female lays between 20 and 40 eggs, incubating for around 75 days. The parents do not incubate the nest, but keep an eye on it and protect the young caiman from predators (storks, egrets, raccoons, etc.) for four months. Its exact longevity is not really known, but its average age is estimated at between 30 and 40 years in the wild.
The spectacled caiman is one of the most sought-after crocodilian species to supply the market with skins, as it is not protected.
IUCN Status : Least concern (Appendix III)