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Paleosuchus
''Paleosuchus'' is a South American genus of reptiles in the subfamily Caimaninae of the family Alligatoridae. They are the smallest members of the order Crocodilia in the Americas. Classification The genus name ''Paleosuchus'' is derived from the Greek ''palaios'' meaning "ancient" and ''soukhos'' meaning "crocodile god Sobek". This refers to the belief that this crocodile comes from an ancient lineage that diverged from other species of caimans some 30 million years ago. At present, ''Paleosuchus'' contains only two members: the smooth-fronted or Schneider's dwarf caiman ('' Paleosuchus trigonatus'') and Cuvier's dwarf caiman ('' Paleosuchus palpebrosus''), both from South America. ''Paleosuchus'' is distinguished from other caimans in the subfamily Caimaninae by the absence of an interorbital ridge and the presence of four teeth in the premaxilla region of the jaw, where other species of caimans have five. The relationships of extant (living) caimans can be shown in the cla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman
Cuvier's dwarf caiman (''Paleosuchus palpebrosus'') is a small crocodilian in the alligator family from northern and central South America. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Venezuela. It lives in riverine forests, flooded forests near lakes, and near fast-flowing rivers and streams. It can traverse dry land to reach temporary pools and tolerates colder water than other species of caimans. Other common names for this species include the musky caiman, the dwarf caiman, Cuvier's caiman, and the smooth-fronted caiman (the latter name is also used for ''P. trigonatus''). It is sometimes kept in captivity as a pet and may be referred to as the wedge-head caiman by the pet trade community. Cuvier's dwarf caiman was first described by the French zoologist Georges Cuvier in 1807 and is one of only two species in the genus ''Paleosuchus'', the other species being '' P. trigonatus''. Their closest relative ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Smooth-fronted Caiman
The smooth-fronted caiman (''Paleosuchus trigonatus''), also known as Schneider's dwarf caiman or Schneider's smooth-fronted caiman, is a crocodilian from South America, where it is native to the Amazon and Orinoco Basins. It is the second-smallest species of the family Alligatoridae, the smallest being Cuvier's dwarf caiman, also from tropical South America and in the same genus. An adult typically grows to around in length and weighs between . Exceptionally large males can reach as much as in length and in weight. Etymology The smooth-fronted caiman was first described by the German classicist and naturalist Johann Gottlob Schneider in 1801. The genus name '' Paleosuchus'' is derived from the Greek ''palaios'' meaning "ancient" and ''soukhos'' meaning "crocodile". This refers to the belief that this crocodile comes from an ancient lineage that diverged from other species of caimans some 30 million years ago. The specific name ''trigonatus'' is derived from the Greek ''trig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligatoridae
The family (biology), family Alligatoridae of crocodylians includes alligators, caimans and their extinct relatives. Phylogeny The superfamily Alligatoroidea includes all crocodilians (fossil and extant) that are more closely related to the American alligator than to either the Nile crocodile or the gharial. This is a stem-based taxon, stem-based definition for alligators, and is more inclusive than the crown group Alligatoridae. As a crown group, Alligatoridae only includes the last common ancestor of all extant taxon, extant (living) alligators, caimans, and their descendants (living or extinct), whereas Alligatoroidea, as a stem-based group, also includes more basal (phylogenetics), basal extinct alligator ancestors that are more closely related to living alligators than to crocodiles or gavialids. When considering only living taxa (neontology), Alligatoroidea and Alligatoridae contain the same species. The simplified cladogram below shows Alligatoridae's relationships to o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caimaninae
A caiman ( (also spelled cayman) from Taíno ''kaiman'') is an alligatorid belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within the Alligatoridae family, the other being alligators. Caimans are native to Central and South America and inhabit marshes, swamps, lakes, and mangrove rivers. They have scaly skin and live a fairly nocturnal existence. They are relatively small-sized crocodilians with an average maximum weight of depending on species, with the exception of the black caiman (''Melanosuchus niger''), which can grow more than in length and weigh in excess of 450 kg (1,000 Ib). The black caiman is the largest caiman species in the world and is found in the slow-moving rivers and lakes that surround the Amazon basin. The smallest species is the Cuvier's dwarf caiman (''Paleosuchus palpebrosus''), which grows to long. There are six different species of caiman found throughout the watery jungle habitats of Central and Southern America. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Caiman
The black caiman (''Melanosuchus niger'') is a crocodilian reptile endemic to South America. With a maximum length of around and a mass of over , it is the largest living species of the family Alligatoridae, and the third-largest crocodilian in the Neotropical realm.''Melanosuchus niger'' Black caiman Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved on 2013-04-13. True to its common and scientific names, the black caiman has a dark greenish-black coloration as an adult. In some individuals, the pigmentation can appear almost jet-black. It has grey to brown banding on the lower jaw; juveniles have a more vibrant coloration compared to adults, with prominent white-pale yellow banding on the flanks that remains present well into adulthood (more than most other species). The banding on young helps with camouflage by breaki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacarea
Jacarea is a clade of caimans within the subfamily Caimaninae. Jacarea was first named by Norell in 1988 to include the extant species within the genera ''Caiman'' and ''Melanosuchus'', while excluding the dwarf caiman genus '' Paleosuchus''. In 1999, Brochu formally cladistically defined Jacarea as the last common ancestor of ''Caiman latirosris'' ( Broad-snouted caiman), ''Caiman crocodilus'' ( Spectacled caiman), ''Caiman yacare'' ( Yacare caiman), ''Melanosuchus niger'' (Black caiman), and all its descendants. Molecular DNA phylogenetic studies recover '' Paleosuchus'' as outside of Jacarea, although morphological studies are inconsistent. The cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ... below shows the results of the strict consensus phylogenetic analysis of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spectacled Caiman
The spectacled caiman (''Caiman crocodilus''), also known as the white caiman, common caiman, and speckled caiman, is a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae. It is brownish-, greenish-, or yellowish-gray colored and has a spectacle-like ridge between its eyes, which is where its common name come from. It grows to a length of and a weight of , with males being both longer and heavier than females. Its diet varies seasonally, commonly consisting of crabs, fish, small mammals, amphibians and snails. Breeding occurs from May to August and 14–40 eggs are laid in July and August. This crocodilian has a large range and population; it is native to much of Latin America, and has been introduced to the United States, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Taxonomy The spectacled caiman was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, originally as ''Lacerta crocodilus''. It has since been redescribed several times, including as ''Caiman sclerops'' by Schneider in 1801. Although ''Caiman crocodilus'' is now t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yacare Caiman
The yacare caiman (''Caiman yacare''), also known commonly as the jacare caiman, Paraguayan caiman, piranha caiman, red caiman, and southern spectacled caiman, is a species of caiman, a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae. The species is endemic to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Brown in color and covered with dark blotches, males grow to a total length (including tail) of and weigh around ; while females grow to long and about . Typical habitats of this caiman include lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Its diet primarily consists of aquatic animals, such as snails, and occasionally land vertebrates. Mating occurs in the rainy season and eggs hatch in March, with young fending for themselves as soon as they hatch. The yacare caiman was hunted heavily for its skin to use for leather in the 1980s, which caused its population to decrease significantly. However, trading restrictions placed since have caused its population to increase. Its population in the Pantanal is about ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Broad-snouted Caiman
The broad-snouted caiman (''Caiman latirostris'') is a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae found in eastern and central South America, including the Pantanal habitat of Bolivia, Southeast Brazil, and Paraguay, as well as northern Argentina and Uruguay. Behind the black caiman ('' Melanosuchus niger''), it is the second-largest caiman species; it is the third-largest alligatorid behind the American alligator ('' Alligator mississippiensis'') and the aforementioned black caiman. Primarily, the species inhabits freshwater wetlands, including floodplains, marshes, swamps, and some mangrove forests, as well as various streams, rivers, lakes or ponds, preferring bodies of rather still or slower-moving water. They will often utilize man-made cow ponds, disused stock tanks, and canals and ditches, as well.Britton, A. ''Caiman latirostris'' (Daudin, 1801). ''Crocodilian Species List''.http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/csp_clat.htm. 2009. Classification The broad-snouted caiman is one ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
