Caimans are a type of crocodilian ranging throughout South America and into Southern Mexico.
The most commonly available species is the spectacled caiman usually sold by pet shops as hatchlings. Crocodilians do not make good pets. When handling any crocodilian, you should have one hand behind the head and the other at the base of the tail. Any crocodilian's bite can be very serious and painful, so always be careful. A platform of some sort is required at one end of the aquarium allowing the caiman to sit completely out of the water.