Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The Cuvier's dwarf caiman has a rather long snout, about 1.6 times as long as broad at the level of the front corners of the eyes. The surface of the head is completely smooth, without bony ridges between the eyes or in front of them. The upper eyelid is nearly completely ossified and with a smooth surface. The colour of the upper body surface is dark brownish, nearly black in old animals. Youngsters are somewhat lighter and with dark blotches and crossbands. The ear coverlets are reddish brown, equally as the cranial table. There are large dark blotches on the sides of the jaws and the iris is reddish brown to orange. It can grow up to 1.7 m but is usually about 1.4 m.

Did you know?
that the Cuvier's dwarf caiman is the least known of the New World crocodilians? Even such basic topics as prey, habitat preference and reproduction are poorly known. Research including on ecological interactions with other crocodilians and the effects of subsistence hunting would be urgently needed.

Factsheet
Class	REPTILIA
Order	CROCODYLIA
Suborder	EUSUCHIA
Family	ALLIGATORIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Paleosuchus palpebrosus
Name (English)	Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman
Name (French)	Caiman nain de Cuvier
Name (German)	Brauen-Glattstirnkaiman
Name (Spanish)	Yacaré coroa, Yacaré curua
Local names	Brazil: Jacaré-coroa
CITES Status	Appendix II
CMS Status	Not listed

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Factumquintus

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
Habitat	Freshwater forested riverine and flooded forests around larger lakes
Wild population	> 1'000'000. Widespread and locally abundant
Zoo population	157 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

Photo Copyright by
BS Thurner Hof

Why do zoos keep this animal

The Cuvier'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 palpebrosus 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, 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 (even in mixed-species exhibits) and breeding is not very difficult, in fact offspring has been produced not only in zoos but also by private breeders. 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.