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Behavior
The smooth-fronted caiman is primarily nocturnal (active at night) and terrestrial, spending most of its time on land as opposed to in the water. Research shows an extensive use of burrows by the adults, where they spend much of the day, coming out at night to patrol their territories and to feed. This species is relatively solitary outside the breeding season and can maintain territories as large as several kilometers.
The diet of a smooth-fronted caiman varies with size, habitat and prey availability. This species not only hunts in the water and along rivers banks, but it will also forage in the surrounding forest. Compared to other caimans, juvenile smooth-fronted caimans eat a lot of terrestrial vertebrates (mainly snakes and large rodents) with the adults including a larger proportion in their diet.
Reproduction and Breeding
Females begin to construct mound nests at the end of the dry season, often in close proximity to or even on top of termite mounds. It is thought the vented heat from the termite colonies assists with the maintenance of a high incubation temperature.
The juveniles disperse over a wide range following hatching, with adults maintaining permanent territories over wide areas. There is no true parental care provided to the offspring, but the adults may remain nearby thus reducing the chance of predators in the general area. Females will breed every two to three years.
It is not known whether the incubation temperature of the eggs affects the gender of the offspring in this species, as it is with most other crocodilians.
Conservation
This species is listed as Least Concern on IUCN (International Union on the Conservation of Nature), is listed on CITES Appendix II (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species), and is protected from hunting and capture for the pet trade.
Major current and future threats include habitat destruction and pollution associated with gold mining activities. The long-term effects of the environmental pollution from gold mining need to be examined for this and other South American crocodilian populations to be successful.
Fortunately for this species, the osteoderm-laden nature of their skin causes their hide to be of little use and they have escaped significant hunting pressure, and subsistence hunting has been of sufficiently low intensity to avoid damaging populations.
Amazing Facts
- This is the second smallest species of the Alligatoridae family. Cuvier’s dwarf caiman (P. palpebrosus), whose range overlaps with it, is slightly smaller.
- Smooth-fronted caimans prefer colder, more rapidly moving water than their close relative, Cuvier’s dwarf caiman.
- This animal has 78 to 82 teeth.