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Why is the Yacaré caiman a protected species?
That toothy grin might make you think this is a crocodile or an alligator. But the Yacaré caiman is neither. Caimans are closely related to alligators, but you wont run into one in a Louisiana swamp. Caimans live in South America. All six types of caiman are protected, which means that they may disappear from the planet forever unless we help them.
Its habitats are being destroyed.
It is heavily hunted for its skin.
Both A and B
Are you right?
Correct!
There used to be plenty of Yacaré caiman in South America. Then in the 1970s and 1980s, their numbers dropped because of habitat loss and over hunting.
George Amato
“
By protecting habitats and controlling illegal hunting, we should be able to save caiman as an important part of biodiversity.
„
Anacondas, enormous South American snakes, sometimes eat adult caimans.
Fact
or
Fiction
?
Fact
The anaconda is able to unhinge its jaws and fit large prey, such as caimans, in its mouth.
Despite its jagged teeth, the Yacaré caimans favorite food is bananas.
Fact
or
Fiction
?
Fiction
Its teeth dont lie. The Yacaré caiman is a full-fledged carnivore. Its meals include swimming animals like snails, fish, and water snakes.
Scientific name: Caiman yacare
Size: 8 to 9 feet long
Habitat: rivers, lakes, and wetlands of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay
Diet: snails, water snakes, fish
Characteristics: crocodile-like reptile that has bony scales on its belly
Significance: Due to habitat loss and over hunting, the caiman is a protected species
Image credits: courtesy of Santos Breyer, the Crocodilian Photo Gallery; George Amato: courtesy of Denis Finnin.
