Black caiman crocodile - apex predator

Black caiman crocodiles can grow up to 5 meters long and are apex predators in the Amazon. They will eat anything, including people, if food is scarce .

The black caiman ( Melanosuchus niger ) is an interesting and terrifying resident of the Amazon rainforest. Basically, they will eat anything they can get their hands on. Up to 5 m long, the black caiman is the largest member of the Alligatoridae family . Their skin has a dark green sheen, which helps camouflage them in the Amazon's murky waters at night. They live in several countries in the Amazon Basin such as Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and possibly Venezuela.

Black caiman crocodile in the Pantanal River, Brazil, with prey in its jaws. (Photo: Wirestock Creators)

In research published in the journal PLOS One in 2019, expert Stephane Caut at the Donana Biological Station, Spain, and his colleagues tagged 75 black caiman crocodiles in French Guiana to better understand the regime. their food. They found that fish makes up the majority of the black caiman's diet. However, they also eat a significant number of waterfowl and mammals. Although not listed in the study, these prey items may include animals such as deer, peccaries, and tapirs.

There is even evidence that black caimans eat jaguars and green anacondas, two other species often considered apex predators in the Amazon. Green anaconda, jaguar and black caiman compete for the top spot in the food chain. Although black caimans have been recorded predating anacondas, it is not unusual for larger anacondas to prey on juvenile black caimans.

Black caiman crocodiles can be up to 5 meters long. (Photo: Tristan Barrington Photography).

Humans can also be on their menu when food is scarce. In February 2010, an 11-year-old girl was attacked by a 4.21 m long black caiman crocodile at noon while bathing with her friends in Rondônia state, Brazil. When police and firefighters arrived, they could not find the girl or the alligator. Around 8 p.m., it reappeared with the victim still in its jaws. The little girl was killed and the crocodile was later shot dead.

"Crocodiles get close to the target thanks to camouflage, then attack suddenly and swallow the small prey whole. If the target is a large animal, it will be dragged into deep water and drowned." The crocodile then holds the prey at the bottom of the river or the prey remains trapped in the crocodile's jaws for some time (still submerged in water), waiting for the tissue to soften and decompose rotating movements of the body, swallowing entire parts because their teeth are not suitable for chewing ," the study said.

In previous decades, the black caiman crocodile was classified as vulnerable on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their decline stems from illegal hunting. Not only are they hunted for their meat, but also because their skin is popular with the fashion industry. Fortunately, scientists say they have undergone significant recovery in some areas. However, IUCN said, more data is still needed on the conservation status of this animal.