Caiman ~ Spectacled

Spectacled Caimans are common, meat-eating reptiles that spend most of their lives in the water. They swim very well, mainly using their tails to propel themselves through the water, and also using their webbed feet. Spectacled Caimans are nocturnal (most active in the evening) and has the widest distribution of any species in the Alligator family. If environmental conditions become too harsh, these caimans will burrow into the mud and become dormant until conditions are better. As they grow, various vertebrates take up a a greater percentage of their diet which includes fish, amphibians, reptiles and water birds. Older animals are capable of taking larger mammalian prey such as wild pigs. Their life span in the wild is unknown, however, in captivity they live from 16 to 30 years.