Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman

Paleosuchus palpebrosus

### Regions

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela

## Habitat

### Water Area

182 m² +18 m²/ea. add'l
79 m² +16 m²/ea. add'l

### Temperature

0 m²
6‒42 ℃

## Social

### Fem. Bachelor

1‒2 (up to 1 male, up to 1 female)
1
1

### Sterility

10 years
Death

### Interbirth

3 months
12 months

## Taxonomy

### Order

Reptilia
Crocodilia

### Genus

Alligatoridae
Paleosuchus

The **Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman** (*Paleosuchus palpebrosus*) is a small South American crocodilian featured in the Aquatic Pack DLC for *Planet Zoo*.

## Zoopedia Description

### General

**Population in the wild:** Unknown

Cuvier's dwarf caiman is a small species of crocodilian that inhabits the rivers and swamps of northern South America. The appearance of this species changes as it matures. Caimans have large protruding brown (although occasionally yellow) eyes. Males are an average of 1.3-1.5m while females are an average of 1.15m in length . They usually weight an average of 6-7kg

Cuvier's dwarf caiman is not endangered and is widespread across it's range. It is an environmentally important animal and is known as a 'keystone species' for the role it plays within it's habitat. Caimans help maintain their environment by feeding on a range of fish and insect species. Without Cuvier's dwarf caiman, the population balances of their prey would shift and the ecosystem would change. Caimans are often hunted for trophies, to make amulets or for traditional medicine

### Social

In the wild, Cuvier's dwarf caimans usually live alone or in male-female pairs and are occasionally found in small groups. They may be aggressive towards each other if there's competition for space, mates or food

### Reproduction

During the breeding season, males will attempt to attract females with a courtship display involving 'roaring' or 'grunting' and twisting of the neck along with head movements. If a female is receptive to this, the male will approach her. When a female is interested in a male, she will mount him in shallow water and twist her tail underneath his. Copulation may last several minutes or several hours.A male and a female may mate several times over a few days. Males will likely mate with several females over the breeding season. When the female has mated, she will begin building a nest in which to lay her eggs. The male often assists in nest building. The nest is a mound built from mud, soil and vegetation. The female will lay between 10-25 eggs and bury them in this mound. She will aggressively guard her nest while her eggs are incubating, usually foregoing the opportunity to hunt in the process.

After an incubation of 90 days on average, the eggs will hatch and the female will break the nest, attending to the calls of the young. She will accompany them for 2 or 3 weeks after hatching and then abandon them. When the mother leaves, the newborns disperse, although they will remain near the shore feeding on insects, mollusks, crustaceans and small fish. Caimans reach sexual maturity between 8 and 15 years or when males are 1.1 m and females 1 m. This time will depend on the availability of food.

## Animal Care

 FEEDING STATIONS
 FOOD ENRICHMENT
Underwater Box Feeder · Frozen Blood Pumpkin · Restraint Feeder · Block of Frozen Fish
Sprinkler · Small Ball · Small Ice Ball Enrichment · Small Ball Colourful · Water Jet · Water Jet Rock · Blood Scent Marker · Rubber Duck · Mud Bath

## Trivia

### Zoopedia Fun Facts

* The dwarf caiman is the smallest species of crocodilian.
* Some cultures believe that amulets made of dwarf caiman teeth protect from snake bites.
* Cuvier's dwarf caiman can swim at speeds of 30mph.
* Female caimans are extremely protective over their nests and will often forego food for the duration of the eggs incubation.
* Caimans are 'crocodilians', but not crocodiles or alligators; they belong to their own distinct group.

### Other Trivia

* **Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman** was the first crocodilian to be added post-launch, and the first caiman to be added into the game.