Caiman latirostris
Despite its crocodilian appearance, the broad-snouted caiman’s main food source is fish and small invertebrates, including snails which are very common at the reserve.. An adult can reach eight feet (2.5m) in length, and sizes of over 10 feet (3m) have been recorded although they are normally less than 2m in length with females being smaller. The name comes from the very broad snout which makes it distinctive from the more common Spectacled Caiman.
Broad-snouted caimans populations were seriously depleted by hunters due to their smooth and prized skin. Hunting is now illegal in most countries, which has allowed some recovery of their numbers. Their principal threat now is habitat destruction.
We rarely see this species at the reserve although we were able to take this photo in Jan 2012. It was seen again in early September 2013 but has not been seen since.
