Also known as Cuvier’s smooth-fronted caiman, this crocodilian is solitary and nocturnal.
They have short, backward-curved teeth, which help to catch invertebrates and crustaceans. They have a dark brown back and a lighter coloured head, which helps them to camouflage into the surrounding area.
While they are known to spend most of their time in water, and can tolerate much cooler temperatures than other crocodiles, they are also able to move over land, sometimes travelling miles at night in search of fresh water.
Females will breed once a year at the end of the dry season. They can lay up to 25 eggs in a burrow and will defend them fiercely until they hatch and can hunt on their own.
They have been known to live for up to 40 years in captivity.
