Alligators
| Daily Activities: Little can be said for alligators' lifestyles that hasn't been said already for crocodiles. Being very similar to crocodiles, alligators do very little all day with little requirement for food. They sit in marshes and by rivers, occasionally wading into the water in search of a meal. |
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Habitat: Alligators live in the tropics of the United States and around the gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and parts of China (where they were considered dragons in ancient times). |
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Diet: With fewer large animals where the alligators live, they will rely more on fish, turtles, and birds. Only on rare occasions will they get to eat a human who didn't know the alligator was in his swimming pool. | |
| Scales: Both alligators and crocodiles have rigid scales on their backs known as "osteoderms" (osteo meaning bone and dermis meaning skin) which protect them from many dangers but are sought after by poachers and collectors. Most scales are too rough to be hunted for, but the much smoother Black Caiman's scales have driven them almost to extinction. |
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Caimans
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General: Caimans are much more similar to their ancestors and have avoided even more evolution than alligators and crocodiles. They are often mistaken to be gharials which are EVEN more similar to the ancients and have a much narrower mouth for eating fish. The 4 main species of caiman are the Common Caiman (top), the Broad-Snouted Caiman, the Black Caiman (middle), and the Dwarf Caiman (bottom). |
| Black Caiman: The Black Caiman has become endangered because of collectors poaching them for their smooth scales which are often made into purses or shoes. They live in the Amazon River Basin, but are mostly extinct there and have all been moved to reservations. |
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