ANIMALS – REPTILES – CROCODILES – BROAD-SNOUTED CAIMAN (CAIMAN LATIROSTRIS) #2

Animals - Reptiles - Crocodiles

Broad-Snouted Caiman (Caiman latirostris)

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Crocodylomorpha
Order : Crocodilia
Family : Alligatoridae
Genus : Caiman
Species : C. Latirostris

Description:

The Broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) is a crocodilian reptile found in eastern and central South America, including southeastern Brazil, northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. It is found mostly in freshwater marshes, swamps, and mangroves, usually in still or very slow-moving waters. It will often use man-made cow ponds.

In the wild, adults normally grow to 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) in length, but a few old males have been recorded to reach up to 3.5 m (11 ft). Captive adults were found to have weighed 29.2 to 62 kg (64 to 137 lb). Most tend to be of a light olive-green color. A few individuals have spots on their faces. The most notable physical characteristic is the broad snout from which its name is derived. The snout is well adapted to rip through the dense vegetation of the marshes. Due to this, they swallow some of the dense vegetation while foraging for food.

Binomial Name:

Name : Caiman latirostris
Taxonomist : François Marie Daudin (Paris - France)
Year : 1801
Subspecies : None or not data available
Synonyms : None or not data available

Conservation Status by IUCN:

Status : Least Concern

Has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as evaluated but not qualified for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, near threatened, or (prior to 2001) conservation dependent.

Philatelic Issues

2003 – Uruguay – Unique Stamp, from Caimans Breeding Farm Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: April 10th, 2003
Printed: 500.000 Copies
Type: Unique Stamp from Series
Value: UYP 12

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 39 mm. x 27 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated