Say hello to the crocodiles’ cousins
Looking in to Caiman Creek is like glimpsing some hidden-away river bank deep in the jungle. The water is full of catfish and colourful cichlids, and the logs of wood floating at the surface are not what they seem… Suddenly they come to life and climb up onto the banks. They’re not logs at all, but Universeum’s four Dwarf Caimans, very much alive!
This caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) is related to the crocodile, but it’s much smaller, rarely growing to more than 1.5m (5ft) long.
The Dwarf Caiman’s tough scales provide effective armouring on both its back and belly, and this along with its small size has helped to protect it from hunters.
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