Species Fact Profile: Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)

                                                            Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman
                                                        Paleosuchus palpebrosus (Cuvier, 1807)

Range: Northern and Central South America, east of the Andes

Habitat:  Flooded Tropical Forests, Lakes, Rivers

Diet: Aquatic Invertebrates, Fish, Frogs, Mollusks

Social Grouping: Solitary or Paired.  Territorial Males

Reproduction: Breeding takes place in the late dry season, with males calling for females.  Males may mate with multiple females, usually at night in shallow water.  Females usually breed once per year.  Nest in a mound of soil and vegetation.  Eggs hatch after 90 days.  Females guide young to water, but show little parental care beyond that.  Sexually mature at about 1 meter in length, which can take about 10 years

Lifespan: 50 Years +

      Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern, CITES Appendix II

•       Smallest of the crocodilians.  Males average 1.4 meters long, females 1.2 meters.  Weigh 6-7 kilograms.  The body is very heavily armored with osteoderms, bony plates embedded in the skin, to a greater extent than other crocodilians
•       Dorsal surface is dark, nearly black (sometimes a rust-red color), with light and dark spotting on the jaws.  The tail is ringed with lighter colored bands
•       While usually found alone, will form social groups and hierarchies, competing for access to mates, nest-sites, and food.  Dominance is established through physical displays and intimidation (trying to look larger, hissing), rarely through combat.  Males exclude other males from their territories; territories are defended year round, vary in size seasonally
•       Adults maybe preyed upon by jaguars and anacondas (for their size, they have few predators due to their heavy armor).  Eggs and juveniles are vulnerable to predation from small carnivores, such as coatis, as well as opossums, wading birds, and snakes
•       One of the most common crocodilians in the pet trade due to their small size
•       Population is largely stable.  Hide is almost worthless for leather due to the presence of bony plates, and there is little meat to justify hunting.  Habitat is remote, with large geographic range
•       Named after French zoologist Georges Cuvier, who first described the species.  Latin name translates to "Ancient crocodile with full eyelids," referring to the ancient lineage and the bony plates on the upper eyelids