Caiman Lizard

Genus Dracaena

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing caiman lizards. These lizards are named so because they look like caimans, though they aren’t related to crocodilians. Because they’re closely related to tegus, caiman lizards may also be known as water tegus. Caiman lizards can reach up to four feet (1.2m) in length including their flattened tails, though some individuals may only reach half this size. Their tails are flattened because they’re used for swimming. Caiman lizards are semi-aquatic animals. When out of the water, these reptiles bask in branches overhanging the water so they can make a quick getaway from predators. Predators to caiman lizards include snakes, like anacondas, jaguars, and caimans!

Caiman lizards live in the Amazon River Basin of South America and they can be found as far south as Paraguay. The caiman lizards found here are known commonly as the Paraguay caiman lizard. Go figure. There are currently two living, classified caiman lizards species. Northern caiman lizards are bright with green scales and orange heads while Paraguay caiman lizards are a darker olive green. Both species, however, have the large, broad scales which give them their name. In fact, these lizards were hunted for their skin until the 1970’s when they gained protection.

The most common prey item for a caiman lizard is snails. Specifically apple snails, but anything crunchy will make them happy including crustaceans and molluscs. A caiman lizard’s jaws are strong and their teeth are good for crushing, not tearing. They’ll move a snail to the back of their mouth and crush the shell while moving the snail around. This movement separates the soft snail body from the hard snail shell and the shell fragments will fall from the lizard’s mouth. Once finished removing shell pieces, the caiman lizard will eat the snail with little to no shell fragments. If they aren’t taking invertebrates, caiman lizards may also eat turtles, rodents, and fish. They find their meals using a forked tongue, like a snake’s, which can pick up chemical cues from the surrounding environment and guide them towards their prey. This even works underwater! While swimming, a caiman lizard has translucent third eyelids to protect their eyes and act like goggles!

While these reptiles are more prone to flight if startled by a predator, when cornered, a caiman lizard can use its tail like a whip. As a last resort, they can also drop their tails, though this is important for swimming and doesn’t happen often.

Not much is known about the caiman lizard’s reproductive behavior. They lay their eggs in a nest dug in the side of a riverbank and the eggs are left to incubate on their own for about half a year. On average, they can reach ten years of age in the wild. Caiman lizards spend most of their days in swampy habitats or flooded woodlands. They forage in water or bask in tree branches through the day and spend their nights hiding in bushes and trees.

For more facts on caiman lizards, check out the links in the description. Thank you to Meca One Clone for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!