Caiman Lizard
|
Caiman Lizards – Description
Named due to their resemblance to a crocodilian, caiman lizards are normally greenish or brown with yellow tanned blotches on their sides. Other caiman lizard facts are that in the wild they feed on water snails and dive to the bottom of bodies of water to find them. They then bring the snails to the surface, crush the shells with their teeth and swallow their contents. They were also found to eat tree living invertebrates, eggs, and during the dry season will eat other small animals.
Species of Caiman Lizard
There are two species of Caiman lizard, Dracaena guianensis from the Amazon region and Dracaena paraguayensis from the Paraguay basin. The latter species is only found in the Pantanal.
Caiman Lizard Defense
Caiman lizards mainly use camouflage to avoid predators. If they feel very threatened, they often plunge into water to escape. Dracaena paraguayensis was found to escape danger in holes in dry ground or in termite mounds.
Caiman Lizard Breeding
Caiman lizards have a complex courtship ritual that involves puffing. They have a relatively small cluth size for their body size compared to other lizards. This is thought to be linked to their semi-aquatic nature. Reproductive females were found in both the wet and dry seasons, which means these lizards have an extended reproduction period.
Other Caiman Lizard Facts
In Brazil’s Amazon Caiman lizards are known as “jacuruxi,” which is from their word for snake combined with a word for a type of tree. This similarity is thought to be due to the tree’s unique looking fruit.
Caiman Lizards – Habitat
In seasonally flooded forest and savannas, Dracaena guianensis can be found either in or close to streams and lakes. Here they rest in low trees and also in the water. This caiman lizard preferred to perch on shrubs located close to the lake’s centre.
Caiman Lizard Conservation
Caiman lizards are listed on Appendix II of CITES. They were thought to be common before hunting for their skins took place in the 1950-1960s. Habitat destruction from cattle ranching is also linked to their status.
Reference
DO Mesquita, GR Colli, GC Costa, FGR França, AA Garda, AK Péres Jr (2006) At the Water’s Edge: Ecology of Semiaquatic Teiids in Brazilian Amazon. Journal of Herpetology 40: 221-229.
Back to Reptiles
