Animals
|
Caiman and JacarΘ
Caiman used to be very common – reports dating back to the 1950s said that during the breeding season some river tributaries were so packed with caiman that it was impossible for canoes to move. However, in the lower (more developed) Amazon region today you will need to look hard to find caiman – the best way is to travel by canoe on a small river tributary, using a torch to pick up the reflection in their eyes. Caiman are more populous in the upper (less developed) Amazon region, and in the Pantanal region of Brazil. The reason that the caimans' numbers have declined so drastically is because their skins are popular with poachers – some people think that a pair of crocodile skin boots or a crocodile skin belt are very exotic, so are prepared to pay lots of money. An experienced poacher (in a good location) can kill up to 12 caimans in an hour, and 100 in an entire night. Unfortunately, when a caiman is killed for its skin only a tiny portion (from the caiman's underbelly) is used – the rest of the skin is too tough, so is wasted. Hunting has meant that Amaz⌠nia's largest caiman (the black caiman) is now endangered, and other species are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
The decline in the caimans' number have led to an increase in piranha - one of the caiman's favorite foods. |
The Amazon Adventure is supported by:
The Amazon is home to
several species of crocodiles and alligators – known
locally as caiman and jacarΘs.
Although crocodiles, alligators, and related
species around the world have a fierce reputation for
attacking people, caimans and jacarΘs in the Amazon are
really very timid. If they see a human, they are more
likely to run away – and won't attack unless
provoked. They generally feed on fish, birds and small
mammals. Apart from man, the caimans' natural enemies
include