Yacare Caiman
Caiman yacare
Often called the 'piranha caiman' because it is a key predator of piranhas, helping to keep their populations in check.
- Scientific name
- Caiman yacare
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Reptilia › Crocodylia › Alligatoridae › Caiman
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Swamps, marshes, slow-moving rivers, and flooded grasslands
- Diet
- Fish (particularly piranhas), aquatic snails, insects, and occasionally birds or small mammals
- Range
- Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina
- Size
- 1.5 to 2.5 meters (5 to 8.2 feet) in length
- Lifespan
- 30-40 years
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss, water pollution from agricultural runoff, and illegal poaching for skins
- Safe to approach?
- Defensive. Maintain a safe distance of at least 15 meters. Do not approach the water's edge where they bask, and never corner them. If bitten, seek immediate medical attention due to high risk of bacterial infection; clean the wound thoroughly if help is delayed.
The yacare caiman ( Caiman yacare ), also known commonly as the jacare caiman , Spanish ' yacaré' , Paraguayan caiman , piranha caiman , red caiman , southern spectacled caiman ,, jacaré in Portuguese and îakaré in Old Tupi, 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 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) and females to 1.4...
Photo: Rafael Tosi, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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