86 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



Kiang River. Externally it looks much like the New 

 World species. The color above is blackish olive, with 

 obscure yellowish bands. This is a small species, grow- 

 ing to a length of about six feet. 



The Caimans: Five species of the genus Caiman 

 inhabit Central America and tropical South America 

 east of the Andes. The snout of several species is much 

 sharper than with the genus Alligator ^ to which these 

 reptiles are most nearly related; on some of the species 

 the outlines of the snout are strongly suggestive of the 

 preceding genus. A distinguishing feature from the 

 South American crocodiles is the fitting of the canine 

 teeth of the lower jaw into a pit of the upper jaw, as 

 with the alligator. 



The Spectacled Caiman, C, sclerops, has the widest 

 distribution of any of the species, occurring from 

 southern Mexico through Central America and tropical 

 South America into Argentina. A large example is 

 eight feet long. The upper eyelids are swollen, wrin- 

 kled and on many specimens impart a suggestion of a 

 pair of spectacles. On other specimens the eyelids are 

 developed into blunt horns. Rather a vicious, treacher- 

 ous disposition must be credited to the species if captive 

 examples are to be taken as illustrations ; they are much 

 quicker than alligators and have longer, sharper teeth. 



Caiman latirostris, another small species, is confined 

 to tropical South America. The eyelids are frequently 

 developed into horns. 



The Black Caimen, C. niger, appears to be the lar- 

 gest of the New World crocodilians. It is alleged to 

 grow to a length of twenty feet. This animal abounds 

 in the upper systems of the Ajnazon. The eyelids are 

 flat, but finely striated (wrinkled). The snout is 



