--
Best Regards,

John White
Reptiles & Amphibians of Virginia & Maryland -
http://www.erols.com/reptiles/
Wildlife Photos - http://www.herp-edia.com/photography/
Wildlife & Nature Photographs - http://members.xoom.com/crocodilians/


filename="P_trigonatus0004.jpg"



From: John White
Subject: Re: Schneider's Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus)1
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 18:36:07 -0700

Shirley Curtis wrote:

> This little guy looks adorable. My pup holds a pose like that when she's
> anticipating a treat. Is he yours or in a zoo or wild?

This guy belongs to a private collector.

> I'm guessing his body looks about 9" long and the tail perhaps another 6".
> How big is he, really?

You're pretty close! He's just a little bigger than that.

> And, is this an adult?

No, adults reach 4 to 4.5 feet in total length.

> What sort of temperament do
> they have?

Their temperament is just fine if you leave them alone. ;-) Seriously, dwarf
caimans spend their days in burrows and hunt/ forage for food at night. They
don't even bask out in the sun like other crocodilians. They are very shy
creatures, but corner one and it'll get real nasty real quick. In short they're
not aggressive just, *very* defensive.

> Just the usual reptilian eating machine?

Pretty much, except crocodilians seem to be a little more intelligent than the
other reptiles.

--
Best Regards,

John White
Reptiles & Amphibians of Virginia & Maryland - http://www.erols.com/reptiles/
Wildlife Photos - http://www.herp-edia.com/photography/
Wildlife & Nature Photographs - http://members.xoom.com/crocodilians/