Black caiman Facts for Kids
Melanosuchus niger · mel-an-oh-SOO-kus NY-jer
A very big reptile of the Amazon that lives in slow rivers.
- 🏃 speed: not yet checked
- ⚖️ weight: not yet checked
- 📏 20 ft6 m1 long
- 🎂 13 years13 years1
- 🍽️ meat
- Doing fine (Least Concern)
A very big reptile with a long tail. It lives in slow rivers and lakes of the Amazon. A young one eats insects.
Black caimans live in slow rivers, lakes and flooded forest in the Amazon region, often near steep river banks. Fish such as piranhas and catfish are a big part of an adult's food. Young ones eat mostly insects.
The black caiman is a very big reptile, a cousin of the crocodile and alligator. It can grow longer than most cars. It lives in slow rivers, lakes, swamps and flooded forest in the Amazon region, often near steep river banks. Fish such as piranhas and catfish are a big part of an adult's food, and it also eats shellfish and some mammals. Young ones eat mostly insects.
How big is a black caiman?
Black caiman in numbers
| Length | 20 ft6 m1more than; the longest the page reports |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | no checked number yet |
| Top speed | no checked number yet |
| How long it lives | 13 years13 years1average; males in human care |
| What it eats | fish such as piranhas and catfish, other animals near the water, and insects when it is young |
| Where it lives | slow rivers, lakes and flooded forest in the Amazon region |
| What kind | Reptiles |
| Is it in danger? | Doing fine (Least Concern)2 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- A black caiman can grow longer than most cars.
- Young ones eat mostly insects.
- It lives in slow rivers and flooded Amazon forest.
Compare the black caiman
Friends and neighbours
Green anaconda
Capybara
JaguarThree questions
Books about the black caiman, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the black caiman for free.
For teachers
Use this animal in class: its facts are on this page, and the cards print from it.
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Melanosuchus niger (black caiman), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, Black caiman (Q504483), checked 30 October 2026.