Schneider's Dwarf Caiman

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The Schneider's dwarf caiman has a rather long snout, about 1.7 to 2 times as long as broad at the level of the front corners of the eyes. Its surface is smooth, without transverse or longitudinal ridges. The upper eyelid is nearly completely ossified and with a smooth surface. The colour of the upper surface of the body is dark brownish, in young animals with dark crossbands. The ear coverlets are darker than the cranial table. The lower surface is light and with dark blotches. The iris is reddish. The length is up to 2 m, but usually about 1.1 m.

Did you know?
that dwarf caimans are very slow-growing? They become sexually mature at 10-20 years of age, and breed every 2 or 3 years only

Factsheet
Class	REPTILIA
Order	CROCODYLIA
Suborder	EUSUCHIA
Family	ALLIGATORIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Paleosuchus trigomatus
Name (English)	Schneider's Dwarf Caiman
Name (French)	Caiman à front lisse de Schneider
Name (German)	Keilkopf-Glattstirnkaiman
Name (Spanish)	Caimán frentiplano
CITES Status	Appendix II
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Mokele

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
Habitat	Freshwater riverine
Wild population	Approx. > 1'000'000. Widely distributed
Zoo population	40 reported to ISIS (2005)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 42 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Why do zoos keep this animal

The Schneider's dwarf caiman is currently not threatened with extinction and zoos keep the species primarily for educational purposes and as an ambassador species for their threatened neotropical humid forest habitats. It is a small species and can be nicely presented to the public also by small zoos with a limited budget.

How this animal should be kept

With its relatively small size Paleosuchus trigonatus is ideal as a keystone species for its south American range for zoos with limited space availability and budget. In the wild it lives in shallow, fast flowing rivulets and streams, a habitat which can be well simulated – also for educational purposes - in a zoo. As a social animal, it can be kept also in groups (and in mixed-species exhibits).. The surrounding fence or moat needs to be strong and have substantial foundations as crocodilians are very good at digging. In temperate or colder climatic zones keeping outdoors may, however, be possible at best during the summer period.

Mostly, the animals will have to be kept in indoor facilities where the following minimum standards should apply: For a pair of adults an enclosure with no less than 3 m² land and 6 m² water surface is required. Average water depth 80 cm. Some large-leaved plants should provide hiding opportunities and shadow, hiding opportunities also underwater (cave, roots). The floor of the land part should be made up of concrete, or should be covered with sand, gravel or bark chips. Floor temperature locally 28 ºC (floor heating), air temperature 25-27 ºC, water temperature 26-28 ºC. Humidity 60-80 %. Light phase 8-12 h per day, HQI lamps. Daily ultraviolet irradiation.