Black Caiman

Caiman niger

Pantanal, Brazil - August 2000

The Black Caiman is the largest member of the Alligator family and grows up to 4m in length.

Pantanal, Brazil - August 2000

During the winter dry season in the Pantanal, the flooded land dries out, stranding numerous large fish in isolated ponds. As the season progresses, these ponds shrink and the water temperature rises, reducing the available disolved oxygen sufficating the fish, and making them easy pickings for the numerous Caiman.

Pantanal, Brazil - August 2000

By August the available open water is quite limited and the ponds become quite crowded with the abundant Caiman. In some of the ponds, space was so limited that they were lying on top of one another!