Black caiman

Black caiman
Temporal range: Present, 0.1–0 Ma[1]
↓
Adult above, juvenile below
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[3][note 1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Alligatoridae
Subfamily: Caimaninae
Clade: Jacarea
Genus: Melanosuchus
Species:
M. niger
Binomial name
Melanosuchus niger
(Spix, 1825)
Synonyms[4][5]
  • Caiman niger
    Spix, 1825
  • Champsa nigra
    — Wagler, 1830
  • Jacare niger
    — Gray, 1844
  • Alligator niger
    — Strauch, 1866
  • Jacaretinga niger
    — Vaillant, 1898
  • Melanosuchus niger
    — King & Burke, 1989

The black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) is a crocodilian reptile endemic to South America. With a maximum length of around 5 to 6 m (16 to 20 ft) and a mass of over 450 kg (1,000 lb),[6] it is the largest living species of the family Alligatoridae, and the third-largest crocodilian in the Neotropical realm.[7][8][9][10] 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 animals helps with camouflage by breaking up their body outline, on land or in water, in an effort to avoid predation. The morphology is quite different from other caimans but the bony ridge that occurs in other caimans is present. The head is large and heavy, an advantage in catching larger prey. Like all crocodilians, caimans are long, squat creatures, with big jaws, long tails and short legs. They have thick, scaled skin, and their eyes and noses are located on the tops of their heads. This enables them to see and breathe while the rest of their bodies are underwater.

A carnivorous animal, the black caiman lives along freshwater habitats, including slow-moving rivers, lakes and seasonally flooded savannas, where it preys upon a variety of fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals.[8] Being an apex predator and potentially a keystone species, it is generalist, capable of taking most animals within its range, and might have played a critical role in maintaining structure of the ecosystem.[11] Although merely few specific ecological studies have been conducted, it is observed that this species has its own niche which allows coexistence with other competitors.[8]

Reproduction takes place in the dry season. Females build a nest mound with an egg chamber, protecting the eggs from predators. Hatchlings form groups called pods, guarded by the presence of the female. These pods may contain individuals from other nests. Once common, it was hunted to near extinction primarily for its commercially valuable hide. It is now making a comeback, listed as Conservation Dependent.[2] Overall a little-known species, it was not researched in any detail until the 1980s, when the leather-trade had already taken its toll.[12] It is a dangerous species to humans, and attacks have occurred in the past.[13]

  1. ^ Rio, Jonathan P.; Mannion, Philip D. (6 September 2021). "Phylogenetic analysis of a new morphological dataset elucidates the evolutionary history of Crocodylia and resolves the long-standing gharial problem". PeerJ. 9: e12094. doi:10.7717/peerj.12094. PMC 8428266. PMID 34567843.
  2. ^ a b Ross JP (2000). "Melanosuchus niger". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2000: e.T13053A3407604. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2000.RLTS.T13053A3407604.en.
  3. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ^ Boulenger GA (1889). Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). New Edition. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). x + 311 pp. + Plates I–VI. (Caiman niger, pp. 292–293).
  5. ^ "Melanosuchus niger ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  6. ^ Plotkin, Mark J. (2020). The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-19-066829-7.
  7. ^ Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger). Crocodilian Specialist Group. Retrieved on 2013-04-13.
  8. ^ a b c Melanosuchus niger Black caiman. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved on 2013-04-13.
  9. ^ "Arkive closure". Archived from the original on 2017-09-06. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
  10. ^ Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger). Crocodile Specialist Group.
  11. ^ Black Caiman, Black Caiman Skull. Dinosaurcorporation.com. Retrieved on 2012-08-23.
  12. ^ Crocodilian Species – Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger) Archived 2017-10-31 at the Wayback Machine. Crocodilian.com. Retrieved on 2012-08-23.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Britton was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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