Wildlife
Alligators and caimans contain eight living species, seven of which are found in the Americas. The American alligator is the biggest member of the family and Cuvier's dwarf caiman is the smallest.
Scientific name: Alligatoridae
Rank: Family
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Black caiman catch
Steve Backshall catches up with a young caiman hiding out in the reeds and rushes.
Steve Backshall catches up with a young caiman hiding out in the reeds and rushes.
Monster caiman
Infra-red camera traps capture shots of a 4m long black caiman, largest of the alligators.
Infra-red camera traps capture shots of a 4m long black caiman, largest of the alligators.
Caiman backlash
Steve Backshall experiences a nasty bite from a wild animal while looking for anaconda.
Steve Backshall experiences a nasty bite from a wild animal while looking for anaconda.
Miniature croc
Steve Backshall finds a baby caiman delightful, until it starts calling for its mum.
Steve Backshall finds a baby caiman delightful, until it starts calling for its mum.
The shading illustrates the diversity of this group - the darker the colour the greater the number of species. Data provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
