Caiman

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Caiman or Cayman, common name for three genera of reptiles in the crocodilian order. They closely resemble alligators except for the small bony scales, or osteoderms, embedded in the skin of their bellies. All are found in the American Tropics. The largest—4.5 m (15 ft) or more in length—is the black caiman of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers; it is in danger of extinction, as are many other crocodilians. The smallest caiman, about 1.5 m (about 5 ft), is Cuvier's dwarf or armored caiman, which has heavily ossified, or bony, skin. One of the most abundant and wide-ranging is the spectacled caiman, named for the bony ridge between its eyes, which looks like the nosepiece of a pair of eyeglasses. See Crocodile.

Scientific classification: Caimans belong to the family Alligatoridae in the order Crocodilia. The black caiman is classified as Melanosuchus niger, the armored caiman as Paleosuchus palpebrosus, and the spectacled caiman as Caiman crocodilus crocodilus.

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