© Shawn K. Heflick www.ArtByEvolution.com

© Shawn K. Heflick www.ArtByEvolution.com

Answer: The Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger) is a massive crocodilian related closely to the alligator. The black caiman is a threatened species. It is carnivorous, like all crocodilians, and lives along slow-moving rivers and lakes in the seasonally flooded lands of the Amazon Basin. As the top predator in the Amazon, the black caiman eats fish, birds, turtles, snakes, and land-dwelling animals like the capybara, tapir, deer and jaguar. Its teeth are designed to grab but not rip, so it swallows food whole after drowning it. A healthy adult black caiman has no predators other than humans in its habitat. Many black caiman populations have been hunted to near extinction. This magnificant beast is truly gorgeous to behold, and well worth protecting!