A caiman is a crocodilian alligatorid belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within Alligatoridae, the other being alligators.nnCaimans inhabit Mexico, Central and northern South America from marshes and swamps to mangrove rivers and lakes. Caimans have scaly skin, and live a fairly nocturnal existence.nnThey are relatively small-sized crocodilians, with an average maximum weight of 6 to 40 kg 13 to 88 lb depending on species, with the exception of the black caiman Melanosuchus niger, which can grow more than 4 m 13 ft in length and weigh up to 400 kg 880 lb. The black caiman is the largest caiman species in the world and is found in the slow-moving rivers and lakes that surround the Amazon basin. The smallest species is the Cuvier`s dwarf caiman Paleosuchus palpebrosus, which grows to 1.2 to 1.5 m 3.9 to 4.9 ft long. There are six different species of caiman found throughout the watery, jungle habitats of Central and Southern America.
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