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Caimans & Crocodiles        belong to the reptile order of Crocodylia and are regarded as the closest surviving relatives of the extinct dinosaurs. In Ecuador exist one member of the Crocodylidae family, the huge American Crocodile, inhabiting the waters of the Pacific coast but which however is nowadays very rare. Not so rare are the Caimans, which belong to the family of Alligatoridae and are most closely related to the alligators. Various species range in the Amazon, where they inhabit the freshwater lakes and rivers.    Spectacled Caiman (photo taken near Jaguar Lodge) is the most common specie found in the Ecuadorian Amazon. They got their name from the prominent bony ridge between their eyes. Caimans in general are the smallest of all crocodilians with a broader and shorter snout than their relatives. They also  possess small bony scales on the belly which other crocodilians miss. As is the case with all species, their jaws are powerful in closing to be able to crush bones but very weak when opening so they can be easily held together by hand.   Caimans and Crocodiles are carnivorous, feeding on insects when young and later eating fish, mammals, birds and other animals. They are amphibious animals spending most of their time in the water, where they hunt for prey. They are agile swimmers, propelling themselves  with rhythmic strokes of their laterally flattened tails. Their powerful jaws consist of up to 40 teeth which interlock once the jaw is closed and makes escape of the prey virtually impossible.   Caimans spend most of their time submerged in water with only the higher part of the head showing. At night it is popular for tourist groups to look for them. Flashlights are reflected by the eyes and so caimans can be easily found in the water and be admired from close up.   Crocodilians are oviparous or egg laying reptiles. The female lays  from 20 to 90 eggs buried in sand, mud or plant debris. The heat of the sun and of the decomposition of the vegetation helps the young to hatch. Unique among reptiles is that the mother stays close to the nest to protect the eggs and later cares for the newly hatched young. This behavior and also its advanced anatomy among reptiles, like a with a heart with four chambers (all other reptiles only have 3 chambers) and well developed senses show an affinity to birds, which are also thought of being descendants of dinosaurs.   Recently hatched young spectacled caimans are some 15 cm long in length. In the beginning they feed mostly on insects and later turn their interest to larger animals.   The American Crocodile is on the brink of extinction due to overhunting and habitat destruction. It is valued for its skin, from where valuable leather is made. Also extracts from its musk glands are used in the perfume industry. The Caimans of the Amazon are in better state and not endangered yet although some species become rarer in some localities now because of hunting, development and habitat destruction.

Ecuadorian  Species   Name Scientific Location   American Crocodile Crocodylus acutus Pacific Coast Black Caiman Melanosuchus niger Amazon Spectacled Caiman Caiman crocodilus Amazon Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman Paleosuchus palpebrosus Amazon        Reptile Vocabulary   Herbivorous:  reptiles feeding almost entirely on vegetation, e.g. tortoises. Carnivorous:  reptiles feeding on live-caught animals including insects, e.g. caiman. Omnivorous:  reptiles feeding on both plants and animals, e.g. aquatic turtles.