Head to head
Caiman vs Crocodile
In much of Central and South America the crocodilian in the river could be a caiman or a true crocodile, and the two overlap in places. They are different families, and the differences in size, snout, and teeth are worth knowing.
| Caiman | Crocodile | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Alligatoridae (with alligators) | Crocodylidae |
| Species | Six, all in the Americas | Around 15, on four continents |
| Typical size | 1.5 to 3 m; black caiman to 5 m | 3 to 5 m; salties to 6 to 7 m |
| Snout | Broad and rounded | Narrower, more V-shaped |
| Teeth when mouth shut | Only upper teeth show | Upper and lower teeth interlock and show |
| Fourth lower tooth | Hidden in a socket | Visible in a notch on the outside |
| Salt tolerance | Low; freshwater animals | Higher; several use estuaries and the sea |
| Belly skin | Bony plates; stiffer, lower-grade leather | Smooth; prime leather |
Caiman vs Crocodile: common questions
What is the easiest way to tell a caiman from a crocodile?
Look at the teeth and the snout. When a crocodile closes its mouth, both the upper and lower teeth stay visible and interlock along the jawline, and the big fourth tooth on each side of the lower jaw fits into a notch on the outside of the upper jaw, so it juts out plainly. When a caiman closes its mouth, the upper jaw overlaps the lower and hides almost all the bottom teeth, giving a smoother, gummier profile. Add snout shape, broad and rounded for a caiman, narrower and more triangular for most crocodiles, and size, since an adult over about four metres in the Americas is far more likely to be a crocodile than any caiman except a black caiman.
Is a caiman more closely related to an alligator or a crocodile?
To the alligator. Caimans and alligators are both in the family Alligatoridae and share a recent common ancestor, which is why they look so similar, with the broad snout and the hidden lower teeth. True crocodiles are in a separate family, Crocodylidae, that split from the alligator and caiman line tens of millions of years ago. So a spectacled caiman is a much closer relative of the American alligator than it is of the American crocodile, even though the caiman and the crocodile may share a riverbank.
Which is more dangerous to people?
True crocodiles, clearly, and mostly because of two species. The saltwater and Nile crocodiles are large, aggressive, and responsible for hundreds of attacks on people each year, many of them fatal. Among caimans, only the black caiman is big enough to be a serious threat to an adult, and attacks are rare. The common spectacled and yacare caimans are small, wary, mostly fish-eating animals, and while a large one can inflict a nasty bite if cornered or handled, they are not considered dangerous in the way the big crocodiles are. The American crocodile, which shares water with caimans in parts of Latin America, is large but relatively shy and accounts for few attacks.