Schneider's dwarf caiman

Scientific name: Paleosuchus trigonatus

Family Classification: Alligatoridae

Common names: Schneider's Dwarf Caiman, Schneider's Smooth-fronted Caiman

IUCN Red List Category: Least Concern (1)

Year Assessed: 1996 (Needs updating) (1)

Estimated wild population: Over 1,000,000 (2)

Countries: Bolivia; Brazil; Colombia; Ecuador; French Guiana; Guyana; Peru; Suriname; Venezuela (1)

Description: Schneider's dwarf caiman is slightly larger than its close relative, Cuvier's dwarf caiman. Males reach an adult length of 1.8 metres (5.9 ft). Its preferred habitat is freshwater river systems, principally shallower streams, but adults often spend much of their time in burrows away from water. This species walks with a distinctive head-raised posture.

Maximum adult length: 1.8 metres (5.9 ft)

Diet and predation: Juveniles tend to eat a greater proportion of fish than other caiman species. Adults include a much larger proportion of terrestrial vertebrates in their diet, such as snakes and mammals.

Conservation status: Subsistence hunting has been of sufficiently low intensity to avoid damaging populations. Major present and future threats include habitat destruction, and pollution associated with gold mining activities.

References:

1. IUCN Red List (February, 2011) http://www.iucnredlist.org
2. FLMNH - Crocodile Species List (February, 2011) http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/