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Taxa

Caiman

Reptile Genera

Caiman is a genus of alligatorids in the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within the family Alligatoridae, comprising three species: the spectacled caiman, the broad-snouted caiman and the yacare caiman. Native to Central and South America, caimans inhabit marshes, swamps, lakes and mangrove rivers, and most species average about 2 to 2.5 meters in length. They differ from alligators in lacking a bony septum between the nostrils, in having ventral armor of overlapping bony scutes formed from two parts joined by a suture, and in longer, sharper teeth.

Facts
Taxonomic Rank
Genus 2
Member Count Band
Under 10 Species 3
Era First Appeared
Neogene 4
Classification
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Connections

Parent Taxon Of

Spectacled Caiman, Species
Source Wikidata: Spectacled Caiman
In the Other Atlases

Found In

South America

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ11001288, descriptionView the Source
2. Wikipedia: Caiman
  • Taxonomic rank (Wikipedia confirms the entity; rank from slug/structure-wave classification)
  • In Group: Crocodilian Genera, Lead
    A caiman (), also spelled cayman (from Taíno kaiman), is an alligatorid belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within the Alligatoridae family, the other being alligators.
View the Source
3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for Caiman
Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
Quote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
"speciesExtantCount": 3
View the Source
4. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Caiman
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
"taxon_name": "Caiman" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 21 ... "early_interval": "Aquitanian"
View the Source
Wikidata: Caiman
Wikidata Q478759, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Wikidata: Spectacled Caiman
WikidataParent Taxon Of: Spectacled Caiman, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source
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