Black caiman  (Melanosuchus niger)

This impressive aquatic hunter is the largest of all alligator species, with reports of individuals measuring six metres (2). The black caiman superficially resembles the American alligator (4), and as its name suggests, its protective armoured skin is dark in colour. Pale yellow or white bands of dots pattern the sides of the body, while the lighter grey head has dark bands across the jaws (4). As the caiman matures, this banding gradually fades (2). The snout is fairly wide at the base but becomes rather narrow and pointed and (4), like other caiman, a bony ridge extends from above the large eyes, down the snout (2).