Juvenile Dwarf Caiman For Sale

Juvenile Dwarf Caiman For Sale

The Juvenile Dwarf Caiman For Sale (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) is a small crocodilian in the alligator family from northern and central South America. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Venezuela. It lives in riverine forests, flooded forests near lakes, and near fast-flowing rivers and streams. It can traverse dry land to reach temporary pools and tolerates colder water than other species of caimans. Cuvier’s dwarf caiman is the smallest living New World crocodilian. Males grow to a maximum length around 1.6 m (5.2 ft) while females do not usually exceed 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in). The largest specimen on record measured 1.73 m (5.7 ft) in length. This may be an underestimate of the animal’s maximum size, as nearly all large adults have lost the tips of their tails and the largest specimen measured in the Pantanal region had a snout–vent length of 1.125 m (4 ft) (equivalent to a total length of 2.1 m (6.9 ft) with an intact tail). An adult typically weighs around 6 to 7 kg (13 to 15 lb), around the same weight as a 6- to 12-month-old specimen of several larger species of crocodilians. Cuvier’s dwarf caiman has strong body armor on both its dorsal (upper) and ventral (lower) sides, which may compensate for its small body size in reducing predation. The dermal scales providing this protection have a bony base and are known as osteoderms. Cuvier’s dwarf caiman can be kept as a pet, though providing suitable care is expensive and requires extremely large enclosures. These caimans are mainly nocturnal. Adults feed on fish, amphibians, small mammals, birds, crabs, shrimp, molluscs, and other invertebrates, which they catch in the water or on land. Juveniles eat fewer fish, but also consume crustaceans, tadpoles, frogs, and snails, as well as land invertebrates, such as beetles. The prey is mostly swallowed whole and is ground up by stones in the gizzard. In the Pantanal, Cuvier’s dwarf caiman estivates in burrows during the dry season and is able to maintain its temperature around 22 °C (72 °F) for days at a time.